Sea Salt (2Doc)
by 2D Trash
Summary: Murdoc has been the owner of the Point Nemo Lighthouse for many years now. His love for marine life is stronger than his hatred of people. Loneliness eats away at him day by day. His encounter with a strange, yet beautiful creature, unconscious and washed up on his shore, may change his life forever. (feedback is much appreciated!)
1. Chapter 1: Strange

"Will that be all?" Murdoc asked the sailor, arms folded. "Plenty, thanks," He replied with a toothy grin, grasping the crate of supplies in both arms. "Thanks for all your help, mate. My wife and I owe you one." He said as he shook one of Murdoc's calloused hands. "Not a problem," Murdoc answered back, holding back the urge to push the guy off the jetty, what with his gross display of gratitude to a complete stranger like him, but hey, he gave them supplies when they had none, so he expected it.

And with that, the sailor boarded his boat and thanked Murdoc once more before he raised the sails and unhooked the anchor. Momentarily, the sailor's wife popped up from the cabin and mouthed a "call me" while mimicking a phone with her hand as she winked at Murdoc. He winked back with a flirtatious grin, which, luckily for him, her husband did not see. Soon, the white boat sailed off, shrinking as it disappeared into the dark blue.

Sighing, Murdoc made his way back towards his lighthouse. Pulling open the door, he climbed the weathered, metal flight of stairs to his quarters. The clanging sounds of his footsteps reminded him of how vast and also how lonely this place can be. The only real company he gets are seabirds and the occasional washed-up jellyfish. And if he was really lucky, some hopeless ship lost at sea comes across his not-so-humble abode to stay the night or to stock up on supplies, like today. Female ship companions are a bonus, of course, which he indulged in when he doesn't get caught.

It didn't always use to be like this, though. He was once an ambitious and reckless sea dog who had seen better days. Once, he was thrown in jail for sinking a whaling ship off the coast of Japan and another time was when he allegedly 'stole' orcas from a Sea World to release them into the Pacific Sea. He's been there, done that. Seen it all, done it all.

But now, he was just known as that disgruntled lighthouse owner who lives at the furthest point away from any landmass. Away from any living person. Away from all those sodding, carefree tossers. Don't they know what they were doing to the ocean with all their littering and dumping of rubbish and waste? Murdoc recalled the other week where he was scrubbing a distraught pelican, coated head to toe in black oil and other gunk. His blood boiled at the thought of whoever caused another oil spill.

He was growing tired of humanity and its lack of fucks given. This was why he decided to live out here on his own. At least here he could have some sort of control. Yeah, he could create a non-governmental organisation for environmental protection, but where would he get the money? Where would he get the support? Who would listen to a jailbird like him?

Lying in his bed, Murdoc took a swig of whiskey from the dark green bottle in his hand. The sounds of waves crashing against the rocks outside below soothed his headache, yet filled him with a sense of emptiness. Unfulfillment.

Closing his eyes, he flicked through a mental album of all the people who came upon his lighthouse. The men and women only stayed for the sex and nothing else. When he would even so mention his maritime activist days, they would either force a smile or call him a hippy. So, he often refrained from boasting about his adventures and wanted them to leave as soon as possible.

The lighthouse owner craved something more than the casual hookup from people he never saw again. He wanted companionship. Even if it was just a friend. Never in his life had he met anyone who fit that category of 'genuine'. People were selfish and too caught up in their own lives to be aware of the bigger picture. He would often wonder how long before our planet would no longer tolerate humanity and force them to evacuate to another planet like Mars or something.

Murdoc let out a hefty breath, hanging his arm off the side of his bed, swishing the remains of the whiskey in the bottle. In an alcoholic haze, sleep overtook him and he blacked out.

The morning he woke up, the usual groggy pain made itself apparent. He felt slightly nauseous as he struggled to pull his body up and off the bed. Murdoc was clearly hung-over. Steadying himself, he focused his vision on the window. Yellow and blue. It was past midday and the tide is getting higher on the sandbank. The sun was streaming through the window, bathing him in its warm light, making him shield his eyes with one hand.

Something else caught his eye, however. A different shade of blue from the usual ocean blue he saw. A small dot of electric blue in the sand…

Wait, isn't that a body?

Murdoc's eyes widened and he leapt out of bed. Quickly, he pulled on the boots he wore yesterday and grabbed a jacket. He ran down the metal stairs, boots clanging loudly on the steps. He hastily unlocked his door and left it hanging open as he bolted down the shoreline where the body lay. As he approached it, he saw dried blood, which had soaked into the grey sand. Murdoc was standing over the still body now and what he saw was not what he expected.

The body belonged to a scrawny young… man? Woman? He wasn't too sure as it did not have any visible genitalia nor did it have any nipples. What it did have, however, was a full head of short, bright blue hair, cuts, scrapes, and bruises on his face, chest, shoulders, arms and… wings?

Murdoc took a step back as his jaw dropped. He was silent for a moment, drinking up the unbelievable sight he was beholden with. An angel? No way. It has birdlike legs, which did not match the image he had in his head. Murdoc is too awestruck to fathom what sort of mythical creature he had found.

Suddenly remembering why he came down here in the first place, he quickly kneeled down next to the body. Cautiously, he placed his middle and index finger over the creature's pulse, or to where he presumes its pulse is. And sure enough, he felt a slow pulsating sensation indicating life. He could also hear shallow breathing coming from the creature. A good sign, he thought to himself. Then, he noticed that one of the creature's feathered wings was bent a painful way. Murdoc winced. He had nursed birds with broken wings before, so this wouldn't be too hard to deal with… maybe.

Scooping up the body carefully in his arms, he carried the young creature to his bathroom where he ran a cold bath and gently eased the man, if he could even call it one, into the water. Grabbing the nearest washcloth, he dipped it in the tub and wrung the excess water out with a strong twist. Shortly after, Murdoc began wiping sand and dried blood off the creature's body.

He noticed how pale the creature's skin was in contrast to its striking head of blue hair. The man began wondering how long this creature was lying on the shore before he woke up from his hangover. He hoped it wasn't too dehydrated.

Satisfied with his cleanup job, Murdoc carried the creature to one of the two guestrooms and laid it on the bed. Carefully, he disinfected and bandaged the creature's wounds and its broken wing. His doctorate didn't go to waste, after all, he thought to himself. Tucking the creature in a loose blanket, he stepped out of the room to get a bottle of water for when the creature wakes up, as well as a means of collecting his own thoughts.

Shutting the door to the guestroom, he descended the stairwell towards the storage room he had in pursuit of the bottled water. What is he doing? What could he be doing? He doesn't even know what this thing was. He doesn't even know what it could do to him if and when it wakes up. It could be venomous for all he knew!

Yeah, it may look human, but it has sharp talons for feet, and he could only imagine the damage it could inflict on him if he was attacked. And no one would even know if he died. Murdoc would be left here to rot if he didn't run out fast enough to book the hell out of there on the spare boat he only uses to get groceries and more supplies. His heart hammered in his chest as he ascended the stairwell back to the guestroom the creature resided in.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fabric rubbing together from inside the guest room. Then, he heard a loud thud and a strained yelp. Raising an eyebrow, he reluctantly approached the room and opened the door. The sight he saw was a bit… uhhh.

Murdoc's eyes centred on the heap on the floor where the creature was crouching under the blanket. Underneath, the creature stared back at Murdoc. Its eyes were pitch black to his amazement. The creature seemed to have fallen off the bed and was entangled in the blanket, hence its dazed look. Its eyes reflected fear and curiosity. Looked like a lost child at a fair or something, Murdoc mused to himself.

As he took a cautious step forward, the creature flinched, which made Murdoc flinch back. Sweating bullets at this point, the man raised his arms and spoke in a low voice, trying to stop his voice steady.

"H-Hey, I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I'm only here to help you." He said at a slow pace, making sure the creature could sense some sort of comfort in his tone. The winged creature lifted the blanket off its head a bit with its arms, still sporting the same blank stare it had before. Murdoc took this as a chance to slowly approach it again to which the creature did not flinch. The poor man was trembling slightly as he did this.

Soon, he was kneeling in front of the creature who was also in a similar position. They stared at each other for a moment, silently acknowledging the other's presence. Murdoc seemed to drown in the pools of ink that were the creature's eyes as it stared back at his own. They were very quiet eyes, Murdoc thought to himself. Both figures grew calm.

The creature attempted to flap its wings but winced when it felt the broken bone in one of them. "Hey, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you're really hurt right now, so don't move too much, understand?" Murdoc voiced to the creature, placing a hand on its shoulder. The creature began trembling, so Murdoc quickly took his hand off.

"Sorry… " He mumbled. "Guess you don't trust me a whole lot, eh?" Murdoc assumed.

Remembering the bottle of water in his other hand, he unscrewed the lid and held it in front of the creature. The blue-haired figure stared at the object thrust in front of him for a moment before hesitantly taking it from Murdoc's hand, chugging down the clear liquid in long, greedy gulps. Soon after, the bottle was completely empty.

"You were really thirsty, eh?" Murdoc said in an amused tone.

"Yeah, I was. Thanks." The creature said, quietly.

"Wait. You-you can _talk_?!" Murdoc exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief. The sudden loud tone startled the other, causing it to drop the empty plastic bottle on the floor.

"Sorry," The man lowered his voice, "I-I was just... surprised, is all."

There was an uncomfortable pause. "A-Anyway, now that I know you can talk, would you mind telling me how you ended up on my shore?" Murdoc asked. The creature furrowed its brows and pursed its lips. Murdoc waited patiently for its answer.

"I… I don't quite remember," It admitted. "It 'appened so fast."

"Well, what do you remember then?" The man questioned.

"Uh… well, I remember swimming with my friends, then-"

"Wait. What do you mean 'swimming'? You can't swim with wings." Murdoc pointed out.

"Oh, I didn't tell you, but I can actually switch from having wings to having a tail. Pretty neat, huh?" The creature explained with a smile.

"Oh. I see." Was all the man could utter after hearing that. Just what on earth is this guy?

"Anyway, I was swimming with my friends, yeah? Then, I saw this huge shadow and everything else after that was a blur," It continued on. "It hurt a lot. There was blood everywhere. I tried to escape with them, but I was the last one, and…" The creature began tearing up. Little hiccups escaping from its throat. It began to sob.

Heart aching at the sorry sight of the creature, Murdoc hesitantly wrapped his arms around the creature and pulled it towards himself, embracing it as it wept into his white turtleneck. "Shh… it'll be okay, love. I bet they're looking for you right now. You will see them again." He reassured in a gravelly tone, hopeing that it won't ambush him right then and there. The creature had a strong scent of sea spray, Murdoc noticed as he held it close.

After a while, the creature wriggled free from Murdoc's embrace, seeming a bit calmer now. It looked up at the man before him and smiled. "Thank you," The creature said in a nasal voice. "You're the nicest human I've ever met, you know." It beamed.

Murdoc's face flushed at that. Nice? Murdoc wouldn't exactly call himself nice, but he wasn't exactly mean either. He took it as a compliment, anyway. Clearing his throat, the man wanted to know one more thing, "Erm, may I ask what exactly are you?"

The blue-haired creature blinked. "Oh. I'm a siren, of course."

* * *

I really wanted to explore Murdoc's love for the environment; the ocean, in particular. And the idea of 2D as a beautiful siren was also very tempting to write. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! My writing is a bit rusty, but hey, at least I tried. I would much appreciate any feedback or thoughts in the comments below! :D


	2. Chapter 2: Sunset

Murdoc froze. A thousand thoughts ran through his mind, yet everything stayed still. A _siren_? It was a _siren_?! Don't they, you know, _eat_ people? He had read tales of them luring in unsuspecting sailors with their enchanting voices, which cause them to go into a trance-like state and crash their ships. And if they were not on a ship, they would follow the siren's voice nonetheless, even if it meant walking into the ocean and drowning themselves, according to the myths, at least. Still, the very thought sent a chilling fear right through his very being. The siren tilted its head slightly to one side, "Hm?".

Beads of sweat began to form and his hands felt cold. Calm down, Murdoc. There's no such thing as sirens. Sirens are mythical-fucking-creatures originating from Greece, for God's sake! Keyword; _mythical_. Even an escaped science experiment would make more sense than this! Get it together, Murdoc! This might as well be a hallucina-

"Are you alright? You're sweating a lot," The siren spoke, interrupting Murdoc's train of thought. It glanced at the empty, plastic water bottle on the floor, then back to Murdoc.  
"You should drink some water, or take off your clothes. I saw some humans do it near a beach once." It suggested.  
The lighthouse keeper backed away from the siren, shaken. He swallowed to wet his dry throat before speaking, "Are you a... are you really... "  
"Well, i-if you're not comfortable with taking your clothes off, then-"  
"No! That's not what I meant!" Murdoc yelled. The siren was stunned by the man's sudden change in tone.

"Are you... actually a siren?" He asked just above a whisper, eyeing the creature desperately as if trying to urge it to tell him that it was just a figment of his imagination. The other looked at him, puzzled. "Of course, I am. Why would I lie?" It replied.

That was all it took for Murdoc to stand up and dash towards the open door behind him. "What's the mat-"  
He slammed the door shut, pressing his back hard against it in hopes that the creature was weak enough from blood-loss to not break through.

The siren began banging on the door, shouting; "What's wrong? Did I say something weird?" Murdoc couldn't trust this thing anymore. It's playing with him. It is clearly trying to lure him into a false sense of security, so it could pounce on him and tear him limb from limb! Murdoc pressed his back harder against the door, running through the few options he had in his head. He could run downstairs to the secret compartment where he held his emergency rifle and shoot the monster dead. And if he couldn't do that, then he would stick to his original plan and try to escape via his spare boat. The siren couldn't fly if it wanted to catch him, but can it transform into its aquatic form? He had to risk it. "Hey!" He was once again rescued from his thoughts.

"Why did you run out all of a sudden? Why are you not letting me out?" Murdoc began to hear how brittle the creature's voice sounded. The siren's eyes widened in realisation, "Are-are you one of the poachers? Is that it?!" It strained its voice, seeming near tears again, "I can't believe it. I-I thought that you were actually a good person!" It screamed, "I thought that you wanted to make me all better and let me back when I was!" Murdoc was confused. What is it babbling on about? The siren continued between sobs, "My parents were right," It wailed, " All humans are evil… ".

 _Evil._

The word burned its way deep into Murdoc's mind. Evil? Him? The siren was clearly misunderstanding. He hates poachers. He would rather die at the bottom of the sea than associate with those scum. Was the creature trying to make him feel sorry for it? He wouldn't be fooled that easily.

The siren was crying louder now. It slid down the door and on its knees, "Please… don't-don't sell me away… " It pleaded, its voice barely audible past the broken sobs. Murdoc grew hesitant. "Please don't cage me… please don't chop me up… just please-"

"JUST SHUT UP!"

The creature stopped talking, still whimpering and sniffling. "What the bloody hell, are you on about?! I have no intention, whatsoever, of doing any of those things! I'm not even a poacher, for God's sake!" Murdoc barked, "And I only ran out and shut the goddamn door because I didn't want a death wish!"

The blue-haired siren raised its head. "Death...wish?" It repeated slowly, "What do you mean by that?"  
Is this thing really trying to play stupid? It knows exactly what he meant.  
"Oh, I don't know, EAT ME, PERHAPS?!" Murdoc sardonically yelled back. There was a pause. "Eat you? Why would I want to eat you?" The siren asked, completely baffled. Murdoc was equally baffled, of course. "Maybe because I'm a tasty human and my flesh is exactly what you need right now?" He answered back, half-joking, half-terrified.  
The creature wiped the snot off its face, "F-First of all, I only eat fish, crabs, squid and other stuff! Secondly, we sirens have a law against eating humans! Thirdly, I find it rather rude that you would assume that we all eat humans! The last siren to eat a human was sentenced to death nearly centuries ago!" The siren frustratingly shouted.  
Murdoc was shocked, honestly. This thing couldn't have made up the whole story on the spot like that. And, come to think of it, if this siren had enough brain cells, it would have eaten him the moment he entered the room a while ago.

Heart hammering in his chest, the lighthouse keeper slowly backed up from the door and stood on the landing. After a brief period of silence, he began descending the stairwell, away from confrontation. The siren opened the door, peering down at Murdoc.  
"Where are you going?" It called down to him, voice bouncing off the spacious walls.  
"To clear my head." He answered before continuing his journey downwards and outside.

Murdoc pushed the metal door open and walked along the coastline, hands balled up into loose fists as he approached the familiar pier. When he reached the furthest end, he sat down on the edge. Legs dangling above the sea, he took a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. As he placed one of the cigarettes between his lips and started to light it, he heard footsteps plodding behind him on the wooden pier. His head whipped around just in time to meet eye-to-eye with none other than the siren. Terrified, he gave a yelp, "AH!"

 _Plop._

There went his lighter. Into the ocean below.

"Argh, my lighter! You nearly gave me a bloody heart attack!" Murdoc yelled, clearly pissed. The siren recoiled, instantly regretting its bad timing. "I-I'm sorry! I'll dive in and retrieve it, wait here - ow!" It winced, wings trembling.  
"What did I say about taking it easy, idiot?" Murdoc growled. "Sorry... " The creature replied apologetically. The man sighed.  
"And besides, it's fine. Not the first time this has happened. I've got a whole draw of lighters in my room." He told the siren.  
"Oh." It replied.

After a brief moment of silence, the siren asked, "Is... is it alright if I sit down?" The lighthouse keeper simply grunted a reply, which sounded like a "Sure". So, the siren proceeded to do so.  
The sun was starting to set. The sky turned into a gradient of soft oranges, pinks, and purples, a few clouds were visible, reflecting the golden light from the sunset. Combined with the soothing sound of the ocean waves and a few seagulls flying by, it was absolutely breathtaking.

"Wow, look at that sunset! Beautiful, innit?" The siren exclaimed with amazement, smiling giddily. Murdoc simply gazed out towards the horizon, arms enveloping his legs against his chest. He side-eyed the siren beside him and was astonished at how the soft, warm lighting from the sunset seemed to contrast with its blue hair and milky-white skin. It almost seemed like it was glowing. He had to rip his eyes away from the alluring sight before he would randomly slip out one of his cheesy pick-up-lines like 'not as beautiful as you, love'.

"... Hey, er, didn't catch your name. What is it?" Murdoc quickly asked the siren, who turned its head to the question. Its mouth formed a toothy grin, "Stuart," They beamed. "Stuart's my name. You?"  
"Uh, Murdoc. Murdoc Niccals. Murdoc is fine." He nearly choked on his own tongue. God, that smile was to die for.  
"Murdoc? Your name is Murdoc?"  
"Yeah, what about it?"  
"The thing is, Murdoc means 'protector of the sea'. Did you know that?"  
"Er, no. Never knew." He replied, surprised by this revelation about his identity. Protector of the sea? Doesn't sound half bad.  
Stuart gave a small gasp for dramatic effect, then giggled.  
"Well, now you know," They smiled. "Suits you, don't you think?" There was that smile again.  
"What are you smiling about?" Stuart asked. Oh, shit.  
"Nothing! Nothing. Nothing, at all." Murdoc answered back, trying his best to force his face into a neutral expression. The siren raised an eyebrow, "Okay."

Another awkward pause. The waves were crashing against the wooden pillars of the pier as the sun sank lower into the horizon. "... Sorry," Murdoc mumbled. Stuart turned his attention to him, "What?"  
"Sorry for scaring you back there... " He clarified, "You didn't deserve that. I... I fucked up."  
The siren stared at Murdoc for a moment, then smiled.  
"I forgive you, Murdoc," It replied back, softly.  
"And I'm also sorry for assuming you were a poacher when you weren't," Stuart admitted, head tilting downwards. Murdoc was surprised at how fast the siren was to forgive him, of all people. Usually, people would hold a grudge against the person that had hurt them. Looks like not all people did. Well, Stuart was a siren, but still.

"So... you don't hate me?" Murdoc asked.  
"Of course, I don't. What's the point of holding onto bad feelings when life's so short?" Stuart answered, nonchalantly. Murdoc blinked. He never thought of it in that sense before. The siren continued, "My mum once told me that forgiving someone is more important than letting bad feelings eat you up inside."  
Murdoc considered this piece of wisdom he has been bestowed with. By a siren, of all things. "Well, yeah, it can be hard sometimes to forgive someone, but when you do, it'll do good for both of you." They went on. That sounded reasonable enough, Murdoc thought to himself. "Oh, and apologising to each other is just as important too!" Stuart added on, "And I'm glad you did." They said, warmly.

Murdoc could feel something stirring within his heart, his soul, his very being. What is this? Relief? Anxiousness? Is he sobering up? He couldn't put his finger on it. Pay it no mind, Murdoc.  
Another short pause settled between them.  
"Hey, Murdoc?"  
"Hm?"  
"Why do you live by yourself out here? Isn't it lonely?"  
Murdoc forced a laugh.  
"Haha, lonely? I'm not lonely! I don't mind it at all! In fact, I find it quite nice, really. Having a whole island to yourself and all that." He replied matter-of-factly while grinning.  
"O-Oh, I see... " Was all that Stuart could say.

Clearing his throat, Murdoc stood up from his spot on the pier.  
"Come on, it'll get dark soon. Let's head in." He said, walked back down the pier towards his lighthouse. Stuart hopped up and tried to keep up with Murdoc's unusually fast walking, "O-Okay!"

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I was very busy. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts. ^^


	3. Chapter 3: Stew

The last remains of sunset were soon smothered by the horizon, leaving only a dim glow in the far distance which faded into the dark, evening sky. The tides were high now, blanketing the shoreline in its entirety. When day breaks free from the night, the tides would recede back to allow the beach to breathe again. Murdoc turned on the lights in his small kitchen and approached the stove where a large pot sat amongst other brown stains and crusted spillage.

As Stuart entered, they noticed that the floor was poorly mopped and the air smelt of grease, pepper and old fish heads, causing the siren to cough and scrunch their nose.  
"Sit over there," Murdoc said, pointing to a wooden table surrounded by stools. Stuart did so, pulling one of the wooden stools out and sitting down, directing his attention back to the man in the white turtleneck in the mess, that is his kitchen.

"Um, where are we, Murdoc?" The siren asked.  
"Where do you think, dullard? It's my kitchen,"  
"... What's a kitchen?" The man pinched the bridge of his large nose and sighed loudly, "It's a place where you cook and prepare food."  
Cook? What does that mean? All the sirens back at home just eat the food they catch without doing a single thing unless it had something attached to it that was dangerous like a sack of venom or something.

"Why do you have to, uh, 'cook' your food, Murdoc?" Stuart asked back. Murdoc made a louder sigh, "Because, if we don't cook our food, it could make me extremely sick and I would have to sit on the toilet for several hours." He explained, half-jokingly.  
Toilet? What's a toilet? Ignoring that thought, they began recalling a time when they once saw a group of humans put this pink stuff on a rectangular table which sizzled and smoked until it turned brown. Maybe humans could only consume things if they were 'cooked'. Yeah, maybe that was it.

Stuart's train of thought was shortly interrupted by the sound of Murdoc lifting the lid of the pot and peering inside. He quickly withdrew and gagged a little, his face twisting into an expression of absolute revolt. Reluctantly, he took the pot off the stove and poured its murky contents into the garbage disposal chute. Stuart could see chunks of whatever it was spill out of the pot along with the rest of the thick, coagulated stuff. The stench coming from the pot nearly made the siren dry heave, but they were quick to cover any means of breathing with their hands as their eyes began to water. The sounds were enough to make anyone nauseous. Absolutely putrid.

Immediately, Murdoc threw the pot into the sink and rinsed it thoroughly with hot water, which alleviated the smell to a more tolerable degree. Drying his hands off, he moved towards a wall of hooks, which held various kitchen accoutrements and grabbed a new pot from one of them, placing it on the stove.

Removing his hands from his face, Stuart watched as the man opened a drawer and took out a chopping board and placed it on the counter. Then, Murdoc turned and headed towards the pantry where he retrieved several round objects and several long objects which Stuart had never seen before. Some were brown and some were orange. The man went back to the counter and threw the objects into another sink, rinsing them with cold water.

"What are those, Murdoc?" The siren asked from across the room.  
"Vegetables, Stuart. They're called vegetables." The other replied.  
"Vegetibbles?" Stuart repeated.  
"Yes. Vegetables." Murdoc said in a rather annoyed tone.  
"Sorry... it's just, I don't really know too much about humans and their day-to-day life." The siren said apologetically.  
Murdoc looked at him for a moment and sighed.  
"Alright then. I'll tell you what I'm cooking with as I go," He told the creature at the table, "And I won't be repeating myself, so listen closely and remember, alright?"  
Stuart nodded vigorously at this and stayed silent as he observed the older man get to work.

One by one, Murdoc peeled and diced the vegetables into smaller cubes and placed them in the pot with something soft and yellow. 'Butter' was what he called it. Stuart watched as he walked across the kitchen and opened a tall, white box where he took out a carton with a strange animal decorating it and poured a decent amount into the pot of diced vegetables. This white liquid was called 'cream', apparently, and it came from the animal on the carton which was called a 'cow'. There were so many new and interesting things to discover on land, Stuart thought.

After cracking some 'salt' and 'pepper' into the mixture, which Murdoc said made the food taste better, the lighthouse keeper went back to the 'fridge' where he apparently kept cold things so they don't 'go off' (which also made humans sick if they ate food that goes 'off') and retrieved a mackerel fish. The siren watched as Murdoc washed the fish and gutted it with a knife, tossing it in a skillet pan and fried it with salt and pepper. He also heated up some bread rolls on the side, which is a common food staple, Murdoc explained. Soon after, Stuart was greeted with a very peculiar scent, but it was in no way bad, it was just something that sirens never smelt before.

After the stuff in the pot began to bubble and simmer, Murdoc grabbed a ladle from the wall and scooped up some of it and poured it into a bowl. He flipped the cooked fish onto a plate and placed it alongside the steaming bowl of white, creamy food which had pieces of potatoes, onions, and carrots in it. Stuart could even see the tiny specks of pepper. Murdoc took the warm bread rolls and placed them on a separate plate.

The blue-haired siren marvelled at the warm meal placed in front of them and breathed in the collection of different smells. It smelt really good, they thought. Stuart began to wonder if Murdoc would mind if he shared some with them. However, the man returned to the table with a separate meal for them. A plate with two large mackerel fishes. Stuart looked at Murdoc's dinner, then at his, then back at Murdoc's. The lighthouse keeper was about to dig into his meal when he caught the other staring.

"Eat up, will you?" He said, cocking his chin towards the fish placed before them.  
"Um, what... what is it that you're eating?" The siren asked curiously, eyes glued to the bowl of creamy-looking food. Murdoc looked down at his bowl and then back up, "Guess you've never seen this dish before." The siren shook his head.  
"Well, if you want to know, it's called 'creamy vegetable stew' and its one of my specialities. I only cook it when I'm in a good mood." He replied rather matter-of-factly. The siren's eyes widened in surprise.  
"Stu? This food is called 'Stu'?" They exclaimed.  
"Er... yes?"  
"Wh-why is it called that?" He muttered in a puzzled manner.  
"How should I know! Just accept it as it is!" The man yelled.  
"But! My mum calls me 'Stu'! Why is your food also called Stu?!" The siren yelled back, perturbed by the dish's name.

At that moment, there was silence between them. Then, Murdoc's mouth grew into a smile. A snort followed shortly after. Suddenly, he erupted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. He banged his hand on the table, nearly spilling his stew. Stuart could do nothing but stare confusedly at the man whose entire being shook with laughter. Just what was he laughing at?

After a couple of minutes, his laughter died down a little and he wheezed for air. Stuart was unable to grasp the reason as to why the other burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny?!" He shouted at the giggling man.  
"Hahaha... that was one of the most hilarious things I've ever heard in a long time!" He replied out of breath, wiping tears from his eyes. "And as for why I found it so funny, you see, haha, what your mother calls you has a different spelling from the dish I'm eating."

Stuart was utterly dumbfounded. Different spelling? How so?  
"'Stew', the dish I've just made, is spelt 'S-T-E-W', while the 'Stu' you're thinking about, is spelt 'S-T-U'" Murdoc explained with a chuckle. At this point, Stuart felt very embarrassed. Their face flushed a deep pink and they buried their face in their hands, making a groaning sound. This earned another small laugh from Murdoc, who enjoyed the reaction he got from the blushing siren.

"Well, now that that's over and done with, eat your fish, else you'll be sleeping on an empty stomach," The lighthouse keeper said, motioning towards the plate of mackerel.  
Stuart removed his hands from his face and stared at the fish and back to the stew which is being feasted on. As Murdoc chewed, he caught the siren staring.  
"You can't have any, if that's what you're thinking," He said between mouthfuls.  
"Why not?" They asked. Murdoc swallowed.  
"Because your diet consists of raw seafood, right? You're already injured as it is. You wouldn't want to get sick as well, would you?"  
"What's the harm in trying something new?" The siren retaliated.  
"No, your body has never eaten dairy or vegetables before. You might earn yourself a negative reaction," Murdoc shot back.  
He did have a valid point there, Stuart admitted. But, he still wanted to try it. Even if it was a little bit. Then, he eyed the cooked fish. It only had salt and pepper with a little butter. It couldn't hurt, would it?

"Murdoc?" Stuart asked, slowly.  
"What?"  
"Can I taste the cooked fish, by any chance?" The siren asked, curtly. Murdoc looked at the fried mackerel he had prepared as a side dish and thought about it for a moment.  
"... Alright," He finally said, "You can have a taste, but you have to finish eating the fish I gave you, got it?" Stuart nodded.

With his knife and fork, Murdoc cut a small piece and held it up to the siren to take. Instead, however, the siren simply bit the fork and pulled the piece of fish with his teeth off. This startled Murdoc a bit, but he did not flinch. He watched as the blue-haired siren chewed on the piece and waited for a reaction. Their pale cheeks moving in unison as they savoured the taste. Stuart smiled. A very pleased smile. Then, they swallowed.

"I really liked it, Murdoc. It tasted very... 'different' from what I'm used to. It was... very warm and... and soft! The pepper made it a bit tingly on my tongue, but I didn't mind," The siren beamed, pulling a toothy grin. Murdoc returned it with an endearing expression that he, himself, was not aware of pulling.  
"Why're you looking at me like that?" Shit.  
"Looking at you like what? You must be hallucinating from starvation or something! Just eat your food! It's getting late and I have to get back to lighthouse duty, we don't have all night!" Murdoc said in a desperate flurry of words. Thank the stars he was skilled in pulling excuses out of thin air. He just couldn't wrap his head around why he couldn't resist that dumb smile. It was probably Stuart's first time eating human food and he was just glad the siren didn't just throw up on the spot. That was all that smile was. It wasn't that special... was it?

After dinner, Stuart was extremely tired, so Murdoc ushered them to the guest room they rested in earlier.  
"You sure this is fine?" Murdoc asked, one hand on the doorknob.  
"Yeah, it's fine. Got nowhere else to sleep, anyway." Stuart replied, getting on top of the bed, pulling the blanket over their body.  
"Murdoc?" The siren piped up just before the lighthouse keeper closed the door.  
"Hm?"  
"How long will it take until my wing gets better?" Stuart asked. Murdoc looked at the siren through the door. Their large, black eyes staring at him from the dark room, the only light source, being the slightly agape door, reflecting off them.  
"In a few weeks, maybe." He answered in a gravelly tone.  
"... I see. Well, good night, Murdoc!" Stuart called to Murdoc.  
"Good night... Stu." He replied, quietly. And with that, he closed the door and ascended the metal stairs to the top of the lighthouse to continue his nightly duties as a lighthouse keeper.

A/N: Hope the chapter wasn't too mundane or boring to read lol. The 'Stu' joke was funnier in my head tbh. Anybody interested in trying Murdoc's Creamy Vegetable Stew? Well, you can't coz I made the recipe up on the spot, haha. There is, however, a recipe online on a creamy vegetable soup. Give it a try and see how it goes. My friend made some one time and it looked delicious! The made-up recipe in the chapter had fewer ingredients because 1. Murdoc can't afford everything, and 2. I didn't want the whole chapter to be just a cooking show lol.


	4. Chapter 4: Serenade

"Come on!" Stuart called from behind the large rock.

"I'm coming, geez!" Alex swam upwards and breached the water's surface. Stuart scootched to the left to make space for their friend. The other siren eyed a sea otter; floating on its back, attempting to crack open a clam by hitting it on a rock balanced on its furry stomach.

"You can do it, little guy-!" The blue-haired siren whispered loudly from behind the rock. Alex rolled their eyes.

"Is this all you wanted to show me, Stu?"

"Shh, it's breaking it open-!" They hushed their friend, black eyes wide with anticipation. After a few moments, the furry creature managed to crack open the clam and tore its exterior open, feeding on the soft innards. Stuart did a little celebratory swim-dance, golden tail flicking to-and-fro in the water. A huge toothy smile plastered on their face.

After feasting on the clam, the little sea otter submerged under the water in search for more to feed upon.

"Well now that that's over, let's go meet up with Josh and Terry," Alex said, swimming downwards.

"But, wasn't that otter jus' adorable? Did y'see its whiskers?" Stuart followed after the emerald tail of their friend.

"Yeah yeah," The other replied.

"Aleeex!" Stuart swam faster so they were beside the other siren.

Alex chuckled. "You sure love all the animals in the ocean, Stu."

"'course, I do!" Stuart exclaimed.

"Except sharks?"

"Except sharks."

They both laughed.

"They're sorta cool, though," Stuart commented, shortly after.

"Only when they're not chasing after ya!" The other retorted with a snicker.

"Alex! Stu!"

Both sirens redirected their attention to the other siren speeding towards their direction. It was Terry.

"Hey, Terry! What's 'appening?" Stuart called out to their friend, holding up their arm in greeting.

"We've gotta get back on land. Hurry!" Terry yelled, finally in front of the two.

"What?"

"Weren't you listening yesterday? A whole bunch o' sea lions are coming in our territory today!"

A look of dread and realisation dawned upon both sirens.  
Alex gave a worried look to the blue-haired siren who blinked back.  
"And you know what that means..." Terry said, grimly.

" _Orcas_." Alex and Stuart answered in unison.

They both knew that when the sea lions came, the orcas were not far behind - ready to prey upon unsuspecting sea lions. As well as sirens.

"What about Josh?" Stuart asked, concerned.

"They're already at home, Stu. We're the ones that will be in danger if we don't get on land!"

In mutual agreement, all three sirens began swimming off towards land, where they were to reside in the sea caves until the orcas were done feeding.

 _Whoosh._

A sea lion darted past them. Terror was painted across all their faces.

 _The orcas were coming._

The three sirens swam faster now. Panic churning sickly in the pit of their stomachs. Their shimmering tails moving quicker, propelling them closer and closer to the caves.

Soon, a couple more sea lions whizzed past them. Some swimming alongside them, not aware of the impending doom that approached , the sound they were praying not to hear tainted their ears. The distant, chilling, and high-pitched song of the orcas resounded through the water. The sirens knew that they had to swim faster if they had any desire to live. Alex could see the caves in the distance. Terry and Stuart could see them too. They were close. But, not close enough. Suddenly, they smelt something. It smelt metallic and familiar. They turned their heads and were met with a horrific sight.

A cloud of red. Large black and white goliaths less than half a mile behind. Some were violently shredding apart unlucky sea lions, staining the blue ocean darker with blood. They weren't nicknamed 'killer whales' for nothing.

"We've gotta fly! We're going to die!" Terry panicked.  
"Not until we get out of the water, we can't!" Alex yelled back, "We're going to make it! We are!" Stuart was so stricken with fear and guilt now. How could they have forgotten about the warning about the sea lions? Forgetfulness was one of their weaknesses. Regret soon followed their chain of emotions. They should have never shown Alex the sea otter. They were in deep waters now. There was a slim chance of escaping the orcas when they were this close. He felt so hopeless.

 _"Stu!"_ Alex yelled.

The blue-haired siren stopped their self-pity and realised that they were only a few metres away from the sea caves. Their friends were already beginning to approach the rocks nearby to pull themselves out of the sea water and switch from their aquatic forms to their bird-like ones.

"Hurry, Stu! Hurry!" Alex shouted, holding a shaking hand down to the water, ready to pull their friend up to safety. Stuart swam as fast as they can muster, looking back momentarily to be met with more orcas charging towards them.

The exhausted siren was now at the rock platform which their friends were standing on, preparing to take flight. Grabbing hold of Alex's hand, Stuart leapt out of the water; their tail forming two scaly bird legs and white, feathered wings sprouted from their back. Before Stuart could take flight, an orca leapt out of the water - biting onto one of their wings, dragging the siren under the water. Alex's grip on Stuart was mercilessly ripped from them. A look of absolute horror was shared between the two sirens.

 _"Stu!"_ They both screamed.

"Go-Go get help!" Alex yelled frantically to the other siren. "Now!"

"But, Alex-"

"I said _now!_ " The siren screamed, eyes itching with tears.

With a pale and defeated expression, Terry flew off to tell the other sirens.

Alex leapt back into the water, changing forms once again. Through the crimson waters, they spotted a head of blue hair amongst the hoard of orcas and sea lions. It was complete chaos. Stuart disappeared after that. Alex was injured in the process and had to return to land before they were between the jaws of one of the predators. The siren laid on the rock platform, holding their leg in pain, crying and crying. Sobbing Stuart's name. That night, the whole tribe of sirens made plans for a search party to take place, praying that the young siren had miraculously survived.

Little did they know, Stuart scratched at the orca's eye, forcing the brute to release them from its jaws. Their body washed up on the shore of the island at Point Nemo, having no energy to move nor change. There, the siren laid. Bleeding from the cuts and scrapes over their body from being slammed on the many rocks nearby, feathered wing damaged from the bone-crushing bite of the vicious creature. The cold, night air and warm blood gushing from his wounds were all the siren felt before they lost consciousness.

...

Stuart awoke with a jolt. Their breathing haggard and uneven. The siren's wide, black eyes were met with something that was not the sky or the beach. It was a white room with few furnishings. The paint peeled and cracked at some spots. The siren could feel warm fabric against their body. Stuart's breathing steadied. Their vision was obscured by tears, cheeks still wet. Were they crying in their sleep? Stuart wiped them with their hand. This was not their sea cave. Where were they again? Oh, yeah. 'Murdoc's home' was what the siren recalled.

 _"... the sun has come again to hold you... "_

What was that?

 _"... out the doldrums of the whole week... "_

Was that... music?

 _"... the polyphonic prayer is here, it's all around you... "_

Stuart tried to uncurl themself from their position on the bed but winced when they felt the pain from their bandaged wing. It still felt very sore. Slowly, the siren made their way out of the room. Opening the door, they could hear the music more clearly now. The lyrics and tunes bounced off the cavernous walls of the lighthouse. Stuart curiously descended the stairwell towards the music. It was a nice song, they thought to themself.

Once they reached the room where the music was coming from, they realised it was from the kitchen. Murdoc was propped up on a stool at the table, drinking a mug of something steaming hot. Stuart stood at the entrance, unnoticed by the man as they observed him from a distance. Murdoc's expression was that of exhaustion and listlessness. Stuart could see the bags under his eyes appearing more darker and more pronounced than when they last saw him the night before. He must've stayed up most of the night, Stuart thought.

They could hear that he was quietly humming to the song coming from on the small, red box with a metal rod sticking out from the top. He was tapping his foot as well. Murdoc's hum was low but Stuart could tell that he was keeping up with the pitch and tempo of the song quite easily with only a few mistakes here and there.

Midway through the song, Murdoc noticed that his guest was standing in the doorway all this time. His eyes widened in surprise. He quickly turned his head and stood up with a jerk, his back was turned hiding the fact that he felt his ears grow hot.

"I see that you're awake..." He croaked out, approaching the counter to retrieve a plate of fresh mackerel.

"Sorry for not saying anything. I was jus' listening to the music coming from that, um, red box thing on the table," Murdoc placed the plate on the table and looked at the object of which the siren was describing.

"Oh, this?" He placed a hand on the object, "It's just an old radio I own,"

Stuart looked at the radio. Fascinated by how it was emitting music from who knows where and how. The song he was hearing was so different from the songs that the sirens back home sang. It had many layers to it. The lyrics, the instruments, and other sounds that they had never heard before mingled together in a peculiar harmony. Together, it made a pleasant and interesting listen.

"So, what's this song called?" Stuart asked the man, who was pouring himself another mug of... whatever that was.

"Coffee," Murdoc said to the siren as if he read their mind at that exact moment, " It's a drink where you grind up coffee beans and mix it with hot water. You can add cream or sugar, but that's for pussies, so I drink it _extra black_ ," He grinned, taking another sip of the dark concoction, "And what was it you said before, Stu?

"Oh, uh, what's the name of this song?" They repeated.

" _Empire Ants_ , if I recall correctly" The man replied, "By a band called _Gorillaz,_ if you must know. Must be a rerun of _'Plastic Boots'_ or whatever that album was called." A band? What's a band? And Gorillaz? What sort of name is that?

"What's a... band?" Stuart asked, unsurely. Murdoc sighed, remembering that this creature hadn't got an inkling of knowledge about human culture, but agreed to answer the siren's question.

"A band, Stuart, is a group of fame-hungry show-ponies who make music for the masses to listen to," He replied snarkily, taking yet another sip of coffee, "But, not Gorillaz. Oh, no. They're a high tier band, in my opinion. A band that we all need but don't deserve," He continued. "As a matter of fact, I am acquainted with two of their members." He half-heartedly boasted.

"What're their names?" Stuart asked. Murdoc looked up from his mug of coffee. A grin graced his lips.

"Rather than just telling you, why don't I just _show_ you. Wait here." The man stood up from his seat and walked out of the room as if he were going to drag the two Gorillaz members from another room. Stuart waited for a bit and soon enough the lighthouse owner returned with a framed photograph. He sat back down and pushed the object in front of the siren who peered down at the picture of Murdoc standing alongside three other people, arms around each other's shoulders. Everyone was smiling and looking directly into the camera.

"This here," Murdoc said, "Is _Noodle_ ," He was pointing at a young Asian girl with a black fringe covering most of her eyes. A mischievous grin playing on her lips. She was wearing a stripy black and white top, her hair messily done.

"Noodle plays the guitar and sometimes sings in the band. And she's damn good at it too," Murdoc explains, proudly.

"She seems really nice," Stuart commented.

"She is! She really is. I treat her like my own daughter," He fondly said, but his expression changed into a serious one, "But beware..." Murdoc looked at Stuart for dramatic effect, "She can _easily_ bench-press you in half if she really wanted to." Stuart's smile dropped like a pile of plates on a ceramic floor.

The lighthouse owner laughed as the blood drained from the siren's face.

"She's all grown up now, so I'm not sure what she looks like nowadays, but if there's one thing I do know, it's that she can take care of herself just as well as he had been these past years," Murdoc said, "Noodle's a very headstrong and rambunctious girl."

Afterwards, Murdoc's crooked finger moved to another person in the photograph. "And this big fella is _Russel_ ," He said, pointing to a bald, stout man with dark skin and a wide smile. His eyes were white. Stuart wondered why but thought that it would be rude to ask, so he refrained from doing so.

"Russ and I go way back!" Murdoc explained, "He and I met through mutual friends who were involved in protests, rallies and all that jazz. He disagreed with my, erm, 'methods' of protest, but better to go big or go home, as I always say!" Murdoc gave a hearty chuckle. Stuart was fascinated yet puzzled by the new words being thrown at him as he told the story behind these people he claimed to be acquainted with. Still, the siren listened intently.

"Russ moved to England from Brooklyn due to, er... an incident, let's just say, and he adopted Noodle when she was just at the ripe age of 10," Murdoc went on, "Was tremendously surprised when I visited one day and a tiny child ambushed me in the doorway the moment I stepped through," _A small child?_ _Ambushing Murdoc?_ Now that was a sight they wanted to see. Stuart snorted at the thought.

"Oh, shut it! I only didn't fight back because this was Russ' kid we're talking about. And you wouldn't want to mess with a big guy like him, I'll tell you that! They were a terrifying pair, those two." Stuart watched as Murdoc stared into the distance as if he were reliving war flashbacks.

"Anyway, back to the band. Russel's the drummer of Gorillaz, and he occasionally raps too, which is a bit of stretch, but he does it quite well, I'd say. Got a good flow, y'know?" Stuart found the stories of these individuals named Noodle and Russel to be very engaging. They seemed like very appealing (and intimidating) people. Stuart wondered if they could meet them someday.

"Well, that's all I've got to tell you about them," Murdoc said, standing up as he snatched the framed photograph from under Stuart's nose.

"But-But what about the other person? Won't you tell me about them?" The siren was referring to the unkempt man with short, dirty-blonde hair and a gold tooth in his smile.

"Oh, you're talking about _Damon?_ Pah, he's just the frontman and keyboardist of the band. Nothing special, if you ask me," Murdoc said bluntly, "Yeah, he writes most of the songs for the ban, is a so-called 'musical genius', and can practically play any musical instrument he can get his hands on, but under all that prowess, I bet he's just like all those coke-snorting hot shots who collaborate with other artists just to save their dying careers!" He prattled on, scornfully. "I don't know what Noodle and Russ see in that man, honestly. They should just go off and make their own duo! They already got all they need to make it big in the music industry anyway!" Murdoc rambled, "And speaking of the music industry-"

Slowly eating his breakfast and nodding from time to time, Stuart had no idea what the lighthouse owner was going on about, but he knew one thing for sure - Murdoc was jealous. And the siren couldn't help but watch as he made reason after reason to talk down to this person named 'Damon'. The way he would list all these amazing accomplishments Damon had achieved and follow up with a string of new vulgar and ridiculous insults just showed how Murdoc had some sort of underlying respect for the music extraordinaire. Murdoc also mixed in random social commentary about the 'music industry' and 'fake celebrities' or something. "Reject false icons!" He would yell at Stuart. It was quite amusing to watch, despite them not knowing half of what he was saying.

By the end of it, the coffee had gone cold and Murdoc was sweaty and breathing heavily. Stuart was holding onto a question that they saved until after the ranting was over.

"Um, Murdoc?"

"... Yes?" The man breathed.

"Did you ever play music?" Stuart asked.

Murdoc took a sip of his coffee and pulled a face when he realised it was cold and disgusting.  
"I played the bass a couple of times in my prime," He replied after a moment, placing the mug down on the table. The bass? "What's that?" Stuart asked.  
"A type of instrument with strings that you pluck with your fingers to make music," Murdoc replied, "I wonder if I still have it."  
"Ooh, can you show me how you play it?" The siren asked, intrigued. Murdoc could see Stuart's obsidian eyes reflect those of a new-born puppy seeing snow for the first time. He just couldn't refuse.  
"Wait here. I'll see if I can find it." Murdoc once again left the room in search of the instrument.

After roughly ten minutes, he returned with a red object with a long neck with multiple strings strung across. The body of the bass guitar was round and hollow, a black shoulder strap slung over the lighthouse owner, who held the instrument in both arms.

"This," He said, "Is my beloved _El Diablo_. A beauty, isn't it?" Murdoc proclaimed with a grin. He strummed it lightly, producing a wobbly, low sound.  
"Haven't tuned this baby in a _very_ long time~" Murdoc began turning the little paddle-shaped knobs on the head of the bass, strumming the instrument here and there, snarling when it didn't make the sound he wanted. Stuart tilted his head and waited until Murdoc's expression brightened up and he looked towards the siren with a heated gaze, which struck something in Stuart's chest.

Murdoc then took a second to think of a song he could play for his guest and decided to start off with something simple.

He began strumming to the beat of _'Come As You Are'_ by Nirvana. His movements were a bit stiff at first, but he soon got into the rhythm and followed through confidently. Stuart listened in wonder, amazed by the vibrating sounds the bass guitar made. The sound reminded them of Murdoc's voice - low, resounding and strong. He soon followed that performance with _'Feel Good Inc.'_ by Gorillaz, which Stuart enjoyed a lot and countless other songs from various other bands such as _Black Sabbath_ and _The Beatles_. Soon, the morning passed by in an instant.

Around noon, Murdoc ran out of songs to play despite the siren's constant requests.  
"I never knew you knew so many songs, Murdoc!" Stuart gushed, which only stroked Murdoc's already enormous ego.  
"Well, I was into music back in the day," He said, "And I still am." He smiled, pointily.  
"Have you tried writing any songs?" The siren asked.  
"Well, I tried to," Why was he sharing so much about himself to this siren?  
"Can I hear a song?" They asked, smiling. That goddamn smile again.  
"Can't remember any, haha," Murdoc said. This earned a disappointed pout from the siren.

"God, I'm not your personal jukebox, dullard." Murdoc got up from his seat at the table and unslung the beat-up bass guitar from his shoulders, making his way towards the door.

He quickly glanced at the clock on the wall and realised the time. It was midday already. God, it's been that long? What was he doing? How did he let himself lose himself? He recalled how he would glance frequently, mentally begging the guest to stop demanding encores and regretting his cockiness in showing them his musical prowess. But, it as different with Stuart. He didn't once glance at the clock on the wall. He just let himself go. What were these lingering feelings that seem to cling to his arms and his chest like a ghostly vector? Whatever it was, it was foreign to him. Unfamiliar. _Addicting._

"... I've gotta get back to work. So, entertain yourself while I'm away and don't make a mess, alright?"  
"Okay," Stuart replied with an understanding look. And with that, Murdoc left.

Stuart was left with an empty plate and a half-empty mug of cold coffee. _Alone._

* * *

A/N: Took my time with this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Had some fun adding META stuff such as the fact that Murdoc and Stuart aren't members of Gorillaz, but Murdoc still knows how to play the bass and stuff :0000

PS; if you're curious, the reason why i keep giving the sirens the pronoun 'they/them' is coz i made them to be a genderless race. they have no concept of female or male in their society, some are just more feminine or masculine than each other, is all.

PSS; please don't hurt me, i don't hate damon in any way! i just imagined murdoc's attitude towards damon to be that he detests him coz he internalises his jealousy, but still has an underlining respect towards him as well, ya get?


	5. Chapter 5: Scared

_Clank Clank Clank_

The sound of his boots against the weathered, metal steps of his lighthouse was a sound he was all-too-familiar with. The feel of the cool, rough stone under his fingertips as he ran his palm over the walls, the other on the cold metal railing. He pauses, hand still holding onto the metal railing.

These feelings. These fucking feelings. The closest feeling he could remotely compare this to was when he was in middle school and had a thing for Kelly O'Driscoll, who beat the shit out of him and broke his knees. He cried that day. But, that was beside the point. Is he... does he... no. He couldn't be. Could he? No. Why... how could he? Murdoc felt very unsure, sceptical even. He never really believed in 'love at first sight' or any of those bullshit superstitions.

He had never had a proper grasp on this concept of feeling wanted. Even loved, perhaps. His family could attest to that. Well, if he could even call them one, to begin with. He would rather be dragged under the ocean's depths than tell anyone that he yearned for it. _Needed it._ That inane feeling which he thought he could live without. He has slept with many men and women during his experience of being a lighthouse owner to alleviate this deep yearning. And each time, he would reel them in, do the deed, then they would leave and never see him ever again. In those short moments, even if it was all a facade, he felt wanted. It was only a quick fix for him, of course. None of the feelings remained. Not a drop.

Empty.

He felt empty after those interactions. He knew that they were only making pleasantries just for the sake of killing time before thanking him and sailing off. He never verbally expressed it, but he wanted them to stay. They never did. And never will. He hated it.

 _'Nothing lasts forever'_ , he reminded himself.

Most days. he drinks to pass the time or to loosen up before setting off his natural charm and charisma upon guests, straight or not. The realisation dawned upon him. As pathetic as it was, he was in pursuit of this feeling - _the warmth of another person_. It filled him up. It reminded him that he was alive.

His thoughts dissipated when he realised he had reached the Service room. A cacophony of various machinery greeted him as he unlocked the door. Humming, turning, chugging. The beacon at the top of the lighthouse was powered by hydroelectricity - the motion of the ocean waves would turn a turbine which created electricity for the generator which would, in turn, provided power for the beacon. Good, clean energy. Murdoc had to pay a pretty penny to get this system installed. He refused to use whale oil or kerosene for obvious reasons.

Being a lighthouse keeper was usually a very hard job - one had to be willing to work through horrendous weather conditions such as hurricanes, tsunamis and violent storms, all whilst keeping the lighthouse lit all throughout the night for ships to navigate safely. Luckily for Murdoc, storms only occurred once every few weeks or so, while most days were warm or overcast.

Lighthouse keepers would typically do tasks such as cleaning and polishing the lens and windows, repairing and repainting the lighthouse if necessary, provide aid for ships who came astray, and so on. The most Murdoc did was the repair and maintenance of the turbine, generator, and fixing the occasional broken window when waves would get too hectic. He only cleaned the windows once every few months, at the least. His poor maintenance of the lighthouse was justified in his head, however, as his lighthouse was the farthest away from any landmass. So naturally, he would only encounter a stray ship once in a blue moon. He subconsciously looked forward to those encounters.

And then, there was Stuart. Washed up, unconscious, right on his shore. Wings outstretched on the sand like some sort of fallen angel. Murdoc had never even fathomed the day he would meet face-to-face with a siren, of all things. He could still hardly believe it even happened. Could he be in a coma right this very moment and all of this was happening in his mind? Would he ever be able to wake up? He didn't want to think too hard about that possibility. He was all about living in the moment, after all.

Murdoc opened the door to the gallery deck and went outside. A light breeze blew past him, tousling his black hair. The man approached the railing and rested his forearms on them, staring out at the horizon beyond the sea. His dark eyes trailed along the coastline. They stopped at a particular spot - it was where he found Stuart. The sight of the siren's still body, bleeding out onto the grey sand, was still engraved in his memory. Paper-thin skin, blue hair, bruises and cuts everywhere. And of course, one broken wing. Strange how sirens were able to switch from an aquatic form to a more airborne one. He always thought of sirens as what Ariel would be like if instead of marrying Prince Eric, she ate him alive. Well, the more you learn, he supposed.

He began wondering what Stuart was up to now. Probably still sitting in the kitchen, listening to the radio or something. Was abruptly leaving them alone by making up a bullshit excuse like 'lighthouse duties' worth it? Probably not. Who knows what that siren was doing right now. He should go check on them, just to be sure.

Venturing back down the spiral stairwell, he reached the kitchen quarters and caught the siren holding a mug up to his mouth.

"What are you-" Before he finished his sentence, he realised what that mug contained. He dashed forward, grabbing the mug from the siren's lips.

But, it was too late. Stuart's mouth was already half-full of cold coffee. Before Murdoc could react, Stuart spat the liquid out at full force, all over the poor lighthouse keeper. The siren sat there, sticking his tongue out, face scrunching in disgust from the bitter taste. "Blegh!" Murdoc tensed up, trying to process what had just happened. Stuart's expression changed into one of panic when they realised that they had just spat coffee all over the other. Murdoc snapped out of his state and his mouth turned downwards into a snarl.

"Murdoc, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing drinking _this?!"_ He barked at them, holding up the mug.

Stuart was frozen in fear, not being able to say a word. Their throat felt tight and they were afraid to move in fear of further provoking the other. But, they knew that if they didn't explain themselves, it would only cause more upset.

"It-it smelt... nice, so I... "

"You wanted to fucking drink it, right?"

Stuart nodded slowly. Murdoc couldn't contain his temper.

 _ **"What did I say about consuming things that aren't part of your fucking diet, huh?! Do you want to die that badly?"**_

"D-Die?! Murdoc what- "

 _ **"Why didn't you listen to me, you sodding piece of-"**_ Stuart covered their ears and began trembling. The siren began stuttering apologies in the same broken tone as yesterday's incident. Murdoc noticed the tears forming at the corners of the siren's eyes, which were shut tight, and stopped.

Without a word, Murdoc slammed the mug on the table and stormed out, coffee still dripping from his face. Stuart opened their eyes and uncovered their ears. They stared at the open door - the familiar sounds of Murdoc's footsteps on the metal stairs echoed, fading, fading, fading until Stuart could no longer hear them. Their eyes rested on the mug on the table. Black coffee spilt on the surface which was the result of when Murdoc slammed it on the table in a fit of rage.

Stuart felt horrible. But, most of all, they were scared. Scared of facing Murdoc afterwards. What would they say to him? What can he say to him? The siren had never seen him angry before. And they didn't want to witness it again. Fearful thoughts began to leak into their head. Would he kick them out? Would he leave them outside? Did they ruin their friendship with a human? What were they thinking? Murdoc obviously doesn't even consider them a friend. Just an injured animal. A nuisance. A burden. Their curiosity got the better of them. It was entirely their fault.

Just like before with Alex.

Why? Why do these things always happen? Why did they always do the wrong thing? Would Murdoc forgive them? Only time will tell. Salty tears trickled down Stuart's face. They buried their face in their hands and cried in silence.

Meanwhile, Murdoc ripped the door to his room open and entered his en-suite. He pulled his turtleneck off and threw it on the floor, grunting as he did so. Murdoc turned on the sink faucet and dunked his head under the stream of cold water, effectively rinsing the coffee off. Dealing with Stuart was like taking care of a toddler. A big toddler with big feathery wings. And like a toddler, the siren started to cry when they were yelled at. That was the first time he became angry in front of Stuart. The terrified look on the siren's face was etched into his memory.

Lifting his head from the sink, he stared at his own reflection in the mirror. His black hair was drenched, water trickling down his fringe onto his face and down his neck. Murdoc knew that he always had a bit of a temper. Okay, more than a bit of a temper. Got it from his dad, he supposed. The way he was able to snap in an instant. It was like a bomb had set off and he could never quite control the collateral damage it resulted in. He hated it.

 _Did you mean what you said?_

"... Of course, fucking not!" He replied.

 _Then, why did you say it?_

"That was..." He couldn't provide a proper answer.

He didn't know why he felt that compelled to act in such a way, in the first place.

"I don't-"

 _You were **afraid** , weren't you?_

Murdoc fell silent. Afraid? Of what? What could he be afraid of? Negligence of a mythical creature? He scoffed at himself.

"Haha, shut up, you're not making any sense." If the siren had died on his island, they should be glad, no grateful, that he was the only one who had discovered their kind and hadn't sold them to science or a freak show, and instead chose to take the knowledge of their existence to his grave.

 _Do I need to spell it out for you?_

He had been on this damn island for so long that he was no longer surprised that he had developed this voice in his head. It kept him company and had helped him in his darkest of days, annoying as it is.

 _Shhhhhhhhhhhh..._

Shit, he forgot to turn off the tap. Ignoring the voice, Murdoc tightly turned the faucet off, not wasting a drop of water. Rain didn't come as often as it did last month, so he was trying his hardest to not waste more than he needed. Now that he thought about it, it had been a long time since he had a bath. He hadn't taken many of those in a long while. Not because of the low supply of water he had this month, but because he just grew used to it. The grease, the sweat, the grime. He felt weird without it on his skin and hair. He only bathed when he saw ships in the distance and expected them to stop by his lighthouse for supplies or a night to stay. He had to be at least presentable.

Murdoc began to peel off his pants, shoes, socks and underwear until he was completely bare. He felt very liberated, to say the least. With one hand he turned on each of the taps, the other hand dipped in the tub to measure the temperature. Once he was satisfied with the heat of the water, Murdoc reached over and grabbed the bottle of lemon-scented dish detergent he kept and squirted a fair amount into the slowly rising water. Bath steaming, he stepped into the warm water. Right foot, left foot. He slowly eased himself into the tub, making an audible "Ahh..." as the water went up to his shoulders. He didn't bother washing his hair. Beats hair gel any day. Just soaking his body would be all he needed.

 _Shouldn't you apologise to Stuart?_

Apologise? Oh, yeah. He left the poor sod downstairs. A wave of anxiety gathered and filled his head like cotton wool. He didn't want to see Stuart's pained expression. It made his insides twist. And he didn't have the energy to confront them at the moment. He would apologise after his nerves had melted away in this bath. Besides, the water's so warm and suddy. Just the way he liked it. Just an hour would be fine, right? Yeahhh...

Stuart blew his nose into an old, musty tea towel he found by the sink. His tears dried up a long time ago. The siren had gathered enough courage to face Murdoc. They wanted to apologise. Eyes still puffy and nose crusted with tear snot, they went in search of the lighthouse keeper. Stuart hoped he had calmed down now and that he wouldn't be too mad to see his face. The siren began ascending the stairwell. _Where could Murdoc be?_ Stuart approached door after door, opening them and finding nothing but dust. Finally, they opened a door which led to a bedroom which looked well-lived in.

The faded varnish on the wooden floorboards and the grime and hair gathering in the gaps. The usual water damage on the flaky, white ceiling. A cabinet of various alcoholic beverages and a full ashtray on the bedside table beside a lamp. Books and empty glass bottles peak from under the unmade bed. The air smelt stale and unpleasant, interlaced with sweat and tobacco. Stuart stepped into the room, taking everything in. The siren assumed that this was where the lighthouse keeper retired to after his nightly duties. Walking into a human's sleeping quarters was a whole experience for Stuart. They never expected it to smell this bad and it to be this dirty.

Loud snoring.

The blue-haired siren's ears perked up and their head turned towards the noise. Stuart spotted steam seeping in from under a door within the bedroom. Another room? Curiously, they approached the door and reached for the doorknob, turning it. Slowly, they cracked open the door and peered through the opening. Steam wafted through. It was as if they were staring into a warm, humid fog. Then, Stuart noticed the familiar head of black hair. It was Murdoc. He was snoring loudly as he laid in the bathtub, one arm hanging out and mouth slightly agape.

The siren opened the door wider now, approaching the snoring man with caution. Murdoc was completely nude and appeared to be asleep. Stuart didn't know how to feel about this or what to do in a situation such as this. _Should they wake him up? Will he get mad? Should they just leave him alone until he wakes up? Why is he sleeping here?_ Many questions began to swarm the siren's head, making them fidget with their hands.

Stuart was apprehensive about the first option, so they decided to leave him be and wait downstairs until he woke up. The siren began to turn back towards the door when he heard splashing and groaning coming from the bath. Turning their attention back to Murdoc, Stuart noticed the distressed look written on the man's face.

"Murdoc?" The man seemed to be having a bad dream. He writhed in the bath, splashing soapy water onto the bathroom floor. Worried, the siren began to approach the bath, mind panicking. Suddenly, Murdoc let out a strangled cry which reverberated throughout the tiled room. His eyes snapped open, wide and alert. He breathed in short, quick breathes. Heart hammering in his chest. His eyes met the face of a worried siren.

"Murdoc? Are-are you okay?" Stuart's brow creased in concern.

Two hands shot out of the water and tightly grabbed onto the pale wrists of the siren. Stuart gave a yelp.

"Murdoc, what are you-" Murdoc only held tighter onto Stuart's wrists, fixating his eyes on the other's obsidian ones. Stuart couldn't speak. They felt paralyzed in the lighthouse keeper's grip. They had never seen Murdoc like this before. Just what did Murdoc see that was so frightening in his dream? They stared into each other's eyes for a moment longer until Murdoc's breathing slowed and he finally releases his grip. Stuart withdrew.

There was an awkward pause between the two.

"... downstairs."

"What?"

"Wait for me downstairs. Please." Murdoc reiterated. Confused and equally as concerned, Stuart obeyed. They turned and headed towards the door. The siren took one last look at the man before leaving his bedroom. The steam from the en-suite rolled into his room like a vast fog. Murdoc laid there in the bath, still and clearly shaken. He looked down at his own reflection in the water. His reflection stared back at him, unblinking.

He knows what he was afraid of now.

* * *

A/N: **Some lighthouse terminology :**

 **\- Service room:** a room where all the machinery that operates the beacon is at

 **\- Beacon:** the big light bulb inside the top of the lighthouse

 **\- Lens:** the special glass that encapsulates the beacon which amplifies the intensity of the light being shone

 **\- Gallery deck:** a balcony that encircles the Service Room for the Keeper to stand outside to keep an eye out for ships

Anyway, I wanted to explore Murdoc's inner-most thoughts, I guess? I was hesitant in adding the 'talking to himself' thing, but when I remembered how loopy Murdoc was in 'Point Nemo FM' (his radio broadcast series during phase 3), I decided to give it a go.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please tell me your thoughts below! :D


	6. Chapter 6: Shaken

Stuart's bare feet padded down the stairwell until they reached the doorway of the kitchen quarters. They paused and tilted their head upwards. Steam was escaping from Murdoc's room. They watched as the steam began to conglomerate into a cloudy mass until they could no longer see the top of the lighthouse. It was as if the lighthouse itself had peeked above the heavens.

Biting their bottom lip, Stuart proceeded to enter the room and sat down on one of the stools. Then, they waited.

Five minutes turned into ten, which turned into thirty, then into an hour. Time slipped past at an excruciating rate. Stuart began fidgeting, unable to stay still. _When is Murdoc coming down? When is he going to see them? Speak to them?_

They waited an hour more. Still no Murdoc.

The siren turned the radio on. A classic was playing. _Billie Jean by Michael Jackson._ Song after song played. Radio hosts prattled on about celebrity gossip and answered callers who were desperate for free holidays to Tahiti. Stuart understood close to nothing about what they were talking about and even little about who they were or where 'Tahiti' is.

They closed their eyes and buried their face in their folded arms. Any sounds coming from the radio soon became white noise, lulling them to sleep.

Soon, it began to get late. The evening began rolling in, darkening the skies and hushing the air. The tides once again rose above the sandbank and licked the rocks with foamy tongues.

Slowly, Stuart's eyes fluttered open. They lifted their head, black eyes re-adjusting to their surroundings. The lights were on. The half-empty mug of coffee was cleaned up. Stuart eyed a plate of mackerel in front of their nose. Raising an eyebrow, they straightened up and squinted at the plate.

 _That wasn't there before._ Stuart looked out the window. It was evening. Were they out cold for that long? Were they so hungry in their sleep that they sleepwalked for food? And turned on the lights? Stuart shook their head. Very unlikely. _Then, how..._

The realisation crept up on them. Their mind was still a bit disoriented from being asleep for so long. Suddenly, the siren remembered the episode that occurred earlier that day. Stuart's eyes widened.

They stood up with a jerk, pushing the stool backwards. Their eyes scanned the room.

No Murdoc.

Stuart let a sigh escape their lips. When they were told to wait downstairs, they didn't know that Murdoc had no intention of talking to them afterwards.

 _Then, where? Where could he be?_ The siren directed their attention back to the plate of fish. They stared at their dinner.

 _Dinner._

A smile graced their lips. How thoughtful of him. Murdoc; the person who was furiously yelling at them not long before, would be bothered to feed him. So, he wasn't as mad as they thought he would be. The siren was relieved, but at the same time, they were a bit sad that Murdoc wasn't present.

Stuart recalled the previous night where the two of them sat around this table, both eating their separate dishes, enjoying each other's company. They watched Murdoc cook in his small mess of a kitchen, skillfully preparing the ingredients and creating something that looked and smelled delicious.

Now, they were sitting at the same table as last night. All by their lonesome. They weren't used to eating by themself. It felt out of place.

Stuart wanted to find Murdoc.

The siren began wondering if the man had even eaten anything yet. Coffee was the last thing they remembered him having. _He must have eaten something by now, right?_ Worriedly, Stuart switched off the radio and exited the room. They began climbing the metal stairwell, yet again in search of the lighthouse keeper.

Stuart reached his room and saw that the door was now closed. No steam to be seen.

The siren rapped their knuckles gently on the door, calling out Murdoc's name,

"Murdoc... did you eat anythin' yet?" They waited.

No response.

They knocked a bit louder now,

"Murdoc? Are you in there?".

No sound came from the other side of the door. Stuart reached for the doorknob and twisted it.

To their surprise, his door was unlocked. Slowly, they swung the door open. As they entered the room, they could tell immediately that the person of interest wasn't there. The siren peered into the en-suite just to be sure.

No sign of Murdoc. Just an empty bath.

 _Where could he be?_ Stuart realised that they had to go on the same quest as before if they wanted to find him.

And so, the siren started searching each room again, calling out Murdoc's name from time to time.

After many empty rooms, Stuart stumbled upon one which emitted many various mechanical noises from within, guarded by a rusted metal door with a bronze placard reading 'Service Room'. _What was making all those noises? Is there some sort of monster beyond this door?_ A sickly feeling was gathering in the pit of their stomach, which they weren't sure was caused by hunger, fear, excitement or a mixture of all.

With trembling hands and adrenaline coursing through their veins, Stuart reached for the doorknob, bracing themself for what they were about to see.

The door swung open with a distinct squeak, revealing a dimly-lit, narrow walk path with a row of machinery on either side, all humming and whirring together in sync.

Anxiously, Stuart stepped into the room, both intrigued and wary of the sight before them. They were growing more and more uncomfortable by the second. With what was left of their voice, Stuart croaked out a weak "Murdoc, are you in here?". Their voice echoed through the Service Room, making the room feel bigger than it actually was.

No response.

This was their cue to turn back and continue their search. As they turned, a light gust of air blew onto their back, sending a shiver through their body. Stuart immediately screamed, bolting towards the door, ripping it open and slamming it shut. The siren ran back downstairs and into their room, hiding underneath the thin blanket on their bed, eyes shut tight.

 _Murdoc, just where are you?_

* * *

The sun had set long ago, and Murdoc knew that that meant his nightly lighthouse duties were not long now.

He lifted himself off the pier where he usually sat alone with his thoughts. The man turned towards the window where his kitchen quarters were. Stuart's face appeared in his head. He wondered if they had finished eating yet. Are they even awake? Should he have woken them up to eat with him?

 _No. It's fine. They're fine. Stuart's fine..._

Murdoc felt very conflicted. He pressed the palms of his calloused hands onto his closed eyes. The anger and regret he felt before were now replaced by confusion and nausea. He... he just needed time. Yeah, just some time. There was a lot on his mind. Everything was just so overwhelming at the moment. That's all. He just needed to keep taking care of the bird-fish boy and forget about what he saw behind his eyelids earlier that day in the bath.

 _Ignore. Forget. Repeat._ It's worked for him many times before. Why wouldn't it work for him now?

Pulling open the metal door to his lighthouse, he ascended the stairwell towards the kitchen quarters to check up on Stuart. As he got close, he noticed it was unusually quiet. _'Were they still asleep after all?'_ he thought to himself.

Upon entering the room, he was surprised to see nothing but a sirenless table with an untouched plate of mackerel next to the radio. Murdoc's eyes swept the length of the room, but there was no sign of Stuart. _Where could they be?_

A scene from his bad dream crossed his mind, filling him with anxiety. His breathing fastened and his hands clenched, as did his chest.

Murdoc quickly left the room and hurriedly made his way towards the siren's room. His hands trembling slightly as he reached for the doorknob, struggling to suppress the scenes flickering through his head. Twisting the doorknob, he managed to open the door.

The room was entirely dark. despite the curtains being drawn. He could barely make out the lump under the covers on the bed in the far corner.

Murdoc fumbled for the light switch until he felt it, promptly turning the lights on. The figure gave a muffled yelp from under the blanket, trembling ever so slightly.

"Stuart...?"

The trembling stopped. Slowly, the siren slipped out from under their hiding spot. Murdoc watched as their pale limbs fell from the sides of the mattress. Two eyes, that were as dark as the sky outside, fixated on him.

The moment the siren saw his face, tears began rolling down their cheeks. Murdoc was taken back for words. All he could do was approach the sobbing siren and wrap his arms around their shoulders, pulling them towards him. Stuart only cried harder. The words that escaped between their sobs only made the pain in his chest worse.

"Wh-where were you? I was looking for you everywhere! I couldn't see you, or hear you... th-there's a monster in the dim place upstairs! I'm sorry that I spat coffee all over you! I'm so sorry, Murdoc! It's all my fault... all my fault...!"

"Shut up, I get it," Murdoc said, squeezing their shoulders, tightly. The siren immediately held their tongue, reduced to sniffling.

"I- " Murdoc was searching for the right words, "I shouldn't have left you alone... in here... by yourself," He knew the feeling far too well.

"And I... forgive you... " The word 'forgive' felt so awkward rolling off his tongue, but he knew that it was long overdue. The siren looked at him in astonishment. Then, they smiled.

"Also, sorry for... yelling at you before. You looked so-" He had to stop himself there. Too much oversharing. That's enough for now.

Murdoc was about to let go of the siren, but something stopped him. He noticed that the arms which held him did not budge.

"Hey-"

"Can we-" Stuart interrupted him, "Er... stay like this... for a bit longer...?" Stuart said, quietly, "It feels... sorta nice, y'know?"

Murdoc felt blood rush to his face. He could feel his ears burning. Placing a hand on the back of the siren's head, he pushed it towards the crook of his neck, "... Okay," He said as calmly as he could muster. His heart was beating faster than he wanted it to. Steady, Murdoc, steady.

After some time had passed, the sound of Stuart's stomach grumbling broke the silence. It was Stuart's turn to turn red. The siren hadn't eaten since this morning.

"Right... you still need to eat dinner," Murdoc said, releasing his embrace from the siren. Stuart watched as he left the spot beside them on the bed and trudged towards the door. He stopped midway through the doorframe,

"Remember to finish eating and go immediately to bed, understand?" Murdoc didn't wait for a response, he simply left.

Stuart's eyes were glued to the man's back, watching him climb the stairwell to his dwelling above.

 _Right, he has lighthouse duties around this time._

Silently, Stuart stood up and began descending in the direction of the kitchen quarters. They felt famished.

 _Murdoc's hug was so..._ _ **warm.**_

Stepping into the empty kitchen, the siren sat back down on their stool.

 _The room, however, felt so..._ _ **cold.**_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _I've been feeling like a freshly-conceived fawn these days. But, I'll manage._

 _I'm experimenting with my paragraph spacing, so tell me if its exhausting for your eyes to read and I'll change back, okay?_

 _Also, thank you for always being patient with me and my sporadic uploading times. Appreciate it! I love reading your comments, they always make my day 3_


	7. Chapter 7: Song

After that day, the week went by as normal. Well, normal wasn't really the right word. It was more or less the opposite.

The lighthouse keeper soon discovered how much work it took to take care of a siren. Each day, he had to sweep up all the white feathers which shedded frequently from the large wings of his house guest. _'Are they in their moulting season or something?'_ He thought to himself as he swept a small pile of feathers into a dustpan. By the end of the week, he had enough to stuff a pillow. The business idea of mass-producing 'siren-feather pillows' was tempting, but he decided against it. Exploitation was the last thing on his list of things to involve the siren in.

Stuart cleaned out the freezer of fish before the week ended. When there is a demand, there is a supply. Murdoc had to fish for more seafood in order to sustain the siren's appetite. He also had to teach Stuart how to use the toilet and how to bathe in the guest bathroom. Murdoc honestly couldn't decide whether to call them a house pet or a housemate. Maybe even both.

They often chatted during breakfast and lunch about mundane topics as well as bits and bobs about human and siren culture. Stuart's chattiness knew no limits. The siren would often end up going off on a tangent until Murdoc asked him a different question just to stop them, then the cycle would repeat.

Despite all that, Murdoc soon noticed that he and Stuart weren't as different as he initially thought. From their small conversations, he learned that sirens live near coves in sea caves and that they hunted for food during the day. Sirens also liked to observe and watch other species, such as humans, from afar. They very much kept to themselves and were not as malicious and deceptive as he initially thought they were to be.

They had their own version of schools, medical facilities, religious shrines, and so on. Sirens are a tribal species which are led by a theocracy - a council of chieftains consisting of 12 highly-respected elder sirens. Also, the siren community frequently worshipped a god by the name of _Achelous_ , some sort of Greek water god, Murdoc recalled. Stuart explained that they often referred to him as 'Father'.

"Hey,"

"Hm?"

"What do your parents do for a living?" Murdoc asked the siren, leaning against his palm.

"Oh, well, my dad makes and sells lyres," Stuart replied with a smile. "I always enjoy helping my dad build lyres. They sorta look like your bass guitar, if I think about it."

"Is it some sort of string instrument?" The man asked.

"Yeah, sounds way different from what your bass sounds like, though," The siren answered.

"What does it look like exactly?" Murdoc queried further.

"Um... it... " Stuart begins motioning with his hands, attempting to recreate the shape in midair, "It's got this flat, wooden frame..." They make a U-shape with their hands. "And the strings are connected to this thin piece at the top and strung downwards." More hands motions. Murdoc stared hard, trying to visualise this instrument. He knew Stuart was trying their best.

"I, er, think I get what it looks like now," Murdoc said, which earned a big smile from the siren.

"And, what about your mum?" Murdoc asked after clearing his throat.

"My mum? What about her?" Stuart asked back, clearly lost.

"I mean, what does _she_ do for a living?" He clarified.

"Oh! Right, right. Well, my mum heals the injured and sick. She works very hard, yet she always had time to raise me." The siren smiled as he spoke. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Murdoc felt a sharp twist in his core after he heard them say that.

"A doctor, eh?" He smirked.

"Uh, not exactly. She's more of a helping hand, you see,"

"So, a nurse?"

"Is that what humans call them? _Nurse?_ " Stuart's eyes widen with intrigue.

"Uh, yeah," Murdoc replied.

"Oh, alright. Um, by the way, what do your parents do for a living?" Stuart asked, curiously. "Since, y'know, I shared something about myself with you and all."

Murdoc's face fell. His eyes shifted to the floor and back. His mouth was tightlipped and straight. He stayed like this for a moment before he forced out a laugh and dismissed the question with a "Nothing you would be interested in".

"Oh, come on, Murdoc! They can't be _that_ boring. I wanna know what sort of jobs humans do. _Please?"_

"No." Murdoc looked tense. Stuart stared at him, a bit confused.

"Um, why not?" Stuart pressed on. Murdoc didn't speak a word. He only sat there on his seat, emotionless. Murdoc was clutching his mug a bit too tightly. Stuart could feel the same thick tension he felt in the en-suite a few days ago, so they decided to drop it.

"Um! You don't have to tell me if you don't feel like it. Sorry... " The siren finally said, much to Murdoc's relief. A blanket of awkward silence fell over them.

"Let's end our conversation here," Murdoc said as he stood up, "Got some work to do."

"Oh! Uh, yeah. Mm, go ahead," Stuart mumbled, feeling responsible for the sour ending to their conversation.

And just like that, Murdoc left the room again. The siren was once again stuck wallowing in their guilt with no outlet.

Soon, thoughts of his family and friends intruded their mind. His parents must be worried sick. Alex and Terry's expressions when he was dragged under the water were ingrained in his memory. The siren had no idea how far away from home they were carried out by the ocean waves before landing on the shore of Murdoc's island. How much longer do they have to stay here to heal before they can go back? It has nearly been two weeks and his wing still felt sore.

 _It was my own fault that I got into this mess, after all..._

Stuart could feel a burning sensation behind his eyes. Hot tears spilled out and streaked down their cheeks, onto the table. They started crying again. Sobbing, sniffling, shaky breathing.

By the end of it, they felt empty. Completely drained and exhausted. Swollen eyelids, red-faced, crusted nostrils. Stuart knew that crying can feel refreshing to some people when it's over, but it only made their head hurt afterwards. The siren sat there, hunched over on the table for what felt like a millennium, bathed in silence. Just breathing.

Then, they recalled a moment from the past. As a child, Stuart would cry at any given occasion - when they were confused, when they were frustrated, when they were angry, when they were scared. He was a huge crybaby. And each time, his mother would sing to them. Stuart can still vaguely remember most, if not all of the song. The song itself was very old, but it still carried a lot of importance. The song reminded them that everything will be okay in the end, no matter how dire the situation. Stuart found comfort in that song.

So, Stuart decided to give the song a try. It didn't matter if they didn't remember the whole song or if they jumble the lyrics altogether, the siren just had to remember how it went. They sat up straight on the stool, laid their hands on their lap and closed their eyes. After a deep breath, they let the first note leave their lips. It came out quiet at first, but as they continued singing, the tenseness in their shoulders disappeared and their voice came out smooth and clear.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Murdoc was in his room chugging bottles of Jack Daniels and Guinness. He drank bottle after bottle, even smashing one against the corner wall.

How _dare_ they remind him that he was abandoned by a mother he never knew. How dare the siren remind him of his father. All his father was good at was wasting their pension money on an alcohol addiction and a whole list of other things that he would rather not think about. He gritted his teeth and downed another bottle.

Murdoc was up to his fifth bottle when all his muscles tense up, causing him to drop the half-open bottle of honey whiskey from his hand. It rolls across the wooden floorboards and is stopped by his bedside stand with a distinct _'clink'_.

 _Singing?_

He could hear singing from downstairs. His mind went blank. It felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. It was similar to his common dissociations, but it wasn't the same. He was _very_ sure of it.

The lighthouse keeper watched as his own body stand up and slowly make its way towards his bedroom door, unlocking it. He was confused and afraid. The voice that sang the song was beautiful. So, so breathtakingly beautiful.

It clung to his ears and filled every inch of his head. He couldn't hear anything else except for that voice. It made him want to laugh, cry and scream all at the same time. He couldn't stop his body from walking down the metal steps, down towards the source of the singing. He has to go to it. He _must_ go to it. It was all that mattered to him. Nothing will get in his way. _Nothing._

When he got to the doorway of the kitchen quarters, he didn't hesitate to walk straight in. The moment the siren saw him, they stopped. Their face flushed a bright red.

"I-uh-I was jus' singing to myself! I-I'm sorry if I was being too noisy! Oh, and uh, I'm very sorry for being so nosy before, I should've stopped when you said 'No'. Won't happen agai- Murdoc? You... you don't look so good."

The lighthouse keeper began to regain control of his own limbs again. However, he could only hear a high-pitched ringing. He felt strong urge to throw up. The room began to spin and he could feel his lunch and the Jack Daniels creeping up his throat. He lost his footing. He then blacked out.

"Murdoc!"

The man felt a sharp pain jab his brain the moment he came to. He forced his eyes open, bracing himself for what he was about to be greeted with. His vision was still a bit hazy, but despite that, he could still make out the familiar cracked, flaky ceiling of his lighthouse. Murdoc could smell the distinct stench of vomit clinging to him, and around him. Slowly, he sat up from where he lay.

When his eyes focused better on his surroundings he realised that the siren was kneeling right beside him, crying their eyes out. Murdoc grunted when he felt another sharp pain pinching the back of his head. Stuart's attention was immediately drawn towards Murdoc.

"Murdoc! You're finally awake! I was so worried!" They sobbed. Murdoc looked down at his white jumper in the siren's hands which looked to be soaked in greenish-brown vomit. He looked down at his topless body and scowled.

"Stuart, what happened to me?" He asked the teary-eyed siren.

"Well, you waltzed into the kitchen looking really out of it, and all of a sudden, you just... collapsed. You also threw up all over yourself. I tried my best to clean you up, but, well, this is the best I could do. I was really scared... " The siren sniffled. Murdoc honestly didn't know what to say. The last thing he remembered was being in his room, everything else after that felt like some sort of weird fever dream. Then, there was that voice. He looked up at Stuart.

"Was... was that you?" Murdoc asked.

"What?"

"That voice... was that you?" He repeated himself more clearly. A sheet of horror fell over Stuart's already pale face. They looked at the ground and slowly nodded.

Murdoc's blood ran cold.

"I'm-I'm so sorry, Murdoc. I screwed up. I sang without thinking. It's all my fault, Murdoc. It's all my fault that you're..." Stuart gestured towards Murdoc's jumper, "like this."

The lighthouse keeper forced himself up to his feet and grabbed his jumper from the siren.

"Murdoc, I-" He glared down at the siren, a mixture of fear and anger churning inside of him. Stuart stared back in defeat like a scared animal. Murdoc stumbled towards the door, fingers digging into the fabric of his jumper. His mouth twisted into a snarl.

"Stay away from me."

His tone was low but it was sharp enough to cut steel. Stuart wanted to explain why he decided to sing, but nothing came out when they opened their mouth. Murdoc had already begun his trip up the stairwell, his boots violently clanging on the metal. The siren honestly felt crushed. Like his entire being was ripped out of its physical shell and stomped on. Murdoc definitely hates them now. They were sure of it.

And it was all their fault. 

* * *

**A/N:** _Thank you for being so patient with me. I've been very busy with uni, so my energy has been depleting these past weeks. I've been feeling a bit pressured to pump out more content, but I know I'm only human and I have my limits. I hope everyone can understand._

 _On another note, I'm taking a creative writing course at my uni, so future chapters will improve in quality (hopefully hehe)._

 _Once again, thanks for reading! Tell me your thoughts in the comments, I love reading them. ^^_


	8. Chapter 8: Shiver

That night, Murdoc didn't come downstairs to eat alongside the siren. Stuart had memorised where things were at this point, so they didn't mind pulling out some fish from the fridge and setting it on a plate for their meal.

They knew there was no use in shedding tears. It wouldn't make Murdoc forgive him any faster. There was only a hollow feeling left behind.

Stuart bit into the fish and chewed it slowly.

 _Stay away from me._

They couldn't stop repeating those words in their head. The way Murdoc looked when he entered the room. His pupils were dilated, his face was as blank as a slate. It was the first time Stuart had first-hand witnessed the effect of their voice on a human. It was honestly frightening.

 _Did it hurt?_

 _How did it feel?_

 _Will Murdoc be the same ever again?_

They began to reconsider if staying here was the best idea in the first place. They were clearly a constant headache for the lighthouse keeper, that much they could tell. If they stayed any longer, who knew what could happen.

Sirens and humans were just not meant to live under one roof.

This lighthouse - Murdoc's lighthouse - it was only a fraction of what it was like to live as a human. Stuart had gone through quite a bit in a span of weeks. Trying 'cooked' food, sleeping in a human bed, using a 'bathroom' and walking up and down 'stairs' - these experiences will stay with them forever. They would have so much to tell his mum and dad, Alex, Terry...

Thoughts of home trickled into their mind until they overflowed, drowning his brain in homesickness. The siren blinked back their tears. Not being able to feel the cold rush of diving into the salty, blue water, not being able to feel the cool wind blowing through their feathers as they soared through the sky; it was a bit depressing. Stuart knew that their wing would heal soon. This meant leaving Murdoc to himself again. The siren thought about visiting him again in the future, but with how things are between them, that possibility was unlikely met with Murdoc's smiling face.

Now that they thought about it, why was Murdoc living on this island by himself? All that he mentioned was that he enjoyed having a whole island to himself, but what about before this? Did he always live here by himself? Was he raised here? Where were his parents? Stuart hadn't got a clue. They haven't had the chance to ask these sorts of questions to him during their daily chats. They were too engrossed in learning about each other's cultures for that thought to cross their minds. Either that or Murdoc was very well-versed in steering the conversation away from himself.

All the siren knew about him was that he attended 'protest rallies' in the past, seemed like close friends with two members from a music band, and that he used to play his bass guitar a lot and wrote songs which are now long-forgotten. He had also "saved" orcas from a place called _Sea World_. Orcas were the reason behind why they became stranded here in the first place. How could anyone care for a monstrous creature like that?

Murdoc was a mysterious man, Stuart thought. Always avoiding the subject of his past while they openly told stories about when they were a wee siren. However, Murdoc did have a heart. A caring one, at that.

Would Murdoc talk to them again after today? See them? The siren couldn't arrive at a solid answer. All they could do now was try to be optimistic and patient with the enigma that was Murdoc. It would be what their mother would've told them if they were here.

A head of bright orange hair popped up from beneath the waves.

"Any sign of Stu?" Alex asked.

Terry shook their head.

"Oh, for Achelous' sake, where are you, Stu?"

"We should head back," Terry said.

"No,"

"Alex-"

"I said no!"

"But, the elders will be expecting us," Terry urged.

"If we just swim just a bit further north-east-"

"Alex..."

"Come on, Terry!"

"Stu's been missing for weeks, Alex,"

"Do you think I don't know that?! Every fucking night I have to sleep with the knowledge that Stu could be dead and rotting at the bottom of the bloody sea, for all we know! Can't you have some faith for once?" they screamed back.

Terry was silent and averted their eyes. The other siren's pained expression softened a little after they realised their fault.

"S-Sorry..." Alex said.

"No... no, it's okay," the other replied, "You're not the only one who's worried sick, you know. Me, Stu's parents, the kids at the lyre lessons, all of the sirens are. Everyone loves Stu,"

Alex looked out at the vast, blue ocean, restraining the urge to cry.

"Stu's still out there. They have to be,"

"I'm sure they are, Alex," Terry reassured.

"I want to know that they're okay,"

"Me too,"

Days had passed and Murdoc slept throughout the day and stayed up throughout the night for his nightly lighthouse duties. He would eat at odd times such as the middle of the night or at dawn; the times when the siren was still asleep in its room.

This was what he should have been doing since the beginning, he thought to himself. This was what he should have been doing instead of teaching the siren to live like a human when it would never use these skills ever in its life.

Seeing the siren and knowing what it was capable of was frankly terrifying. Murdoc couldn't believe how living with Stuart could humanise it to the point he had let his guard down. Stuart was a siren; something unpredictable and potentially dangerous. Him, being a human, should not be living with it. It was like having a puppy for the first time, but the puppy had mind-controlling powers and shed feathers all over the place.

It was all clear to him now that he thought about it. His feelings towards the siren blinded him to what his original task was; taking care of it and releasing it back into the wild.

If he bonded with the creature, then what? Would he keep Stuart as a house pet and show them off to visitors like an exotic parakeet from Madagascar? Continue developing feelings for it which will potentially lead to bestiality? No! Of course not! He knew that. His logical side knew that. Murdoc understood that he would have to part with the siren soon. And that meant never seeing it again. Leaving a foggy memory of those pitch-black eyes and that head of electric blue. He could feel his gut twist and a hollow pounding in his chest as this fact slowly unfolded itself in his mind.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_

He woke up one late evening and downed bottle after bottle of whatever his fingers touched in his glass cabinet, ignoring any apologies or questions that could be heard from outside his locked door. He drank and he drank, trying to flush out the remnants of the siren's singing.

It seemed to haunt his sleep. The voice was soothing yet chilling at the same time. It was a voice that could not be emulated anywhere else. Not even on the radio. It caressed every corner of his mind. Every note, every rise and fall of pitch and tone; he couldn't erase it. He hadn't felt this lethargic in a long time. Murdoc had convinced himself that the alcohol was what he needed to cure this ailment once and for all.

"Murdoc? Are you okay?" Stuart called from the other side of the door.

There was no response.

"Look, I know you're mad, but can you at least hear me out? Please?"

"Sod off!" Murdoc drunkenly yelled as he threw an empty glass bottle at the door. The green shards shattered everywhere. Stuart flinched at the loud, smashing sound and fell on his backside. They sighed and continued.

"I promise I won't sing again until I return back to my folks at home, okay?"

"Whatever! Jus' leave me alone!" he slurred, falling on top of his bed, one hand holding a half-empty bottle of scotch and the other held a bottle of vodka.

"I know that you've heard me say this a thousand times, but I'm sorry, Murdoc. I really am,"

"Shut uuuup, you overgrown sardine! Y'givin' me a bloody headache!"

"But-"

"Ah-tut-tut-tut!"

The siren opened their mouth again but promptly closed it as they knew that the lighthouse keeper wasn't in the mood to listen today either. So, they left, not saying another word. Their footsteps sent metallic echoes through the cavernous lighthouse as they descended the stairwell once again.

The next day, Murdoc woke up. The familiar throbbing in his head coaxed him from his four hours of sleep. He groaned and rubbed his crusted eyes. He stared at the flaky ceiling, half-lidded and still hungover.

Murdoc looked over at the window to where the sound of rain drummed on the glass. He gazed at the spectacle for a while longer before rolling onto his side to check the time.

It was 12:14 AM.

Slowly, he rolled out of bed. After tripping over one of the many bottles that littered the floor, he unlocked his bedroom door and went downstairs to eat something before beginning his night shift. He passed the siren's room as per usual, expecting the door to be closed. However, he noticed that the door was still agape.

Sighing, Murdoc crossed over to the door to close it but paused when he reached for the doorknob. He couldn't hear any breathing coming from inside. Immediately, he turned on the light.

The bed was empty.

He could feel the blood draining from his face and his breath catch in his throat.

Murdoc bolted from the room, not bothering to turn off the light and bounded down the stairs. Once he reached the kitchen floor, he noticed that there were more feathers on the floor than usual. He couldn't breathe now. Stuart wouldn't be in any other of the other rooms in the lighthouse, could they?

His heart was threatening to break through his ribcage as his searching became frantic. Murdoc began calling out the siren's name, but there was not a single response. Every door he opened was met with a vacancy.

Then, it hit him like a ship on an iceberg - Stuart must be outside. The lighthouse keeper cursed. He was so used to keeping his door unlocked because he knew that there was not another living soul other than himself on this island. It was a simple habit that resulted in the creature's escape.

On the verge of a mental breakdown, Murdoc grabbed a flashlight from the drawer with trembling hands and pulled on his boots.

Where the fuck was his umbrella? Fuck it. He has to go out there. Now.

Upon opening the door, a gust of wind sprayed rainwater all over the man, who shivered as he shielded himself with both arms from the chilling bite of the night before him. He slammed the door shut and ventured downside, thrusting his flashlight out in front of him. Murdoc ran down towards the beach, the wet sand sticking to the soles of his boots.

"Stuart!" he called, "Stuart, where the hell are you?!"

His shouts were smothered out by the rain. But he didn't care, he kept on calling that name.

"STUART!"

He ran up and down the coastline, his jumper sopping wet with rain, black fringe stuck to his forehead.

That was when his flashlight shone on a sea cave near the cove. Murdoc was about to turn away when he recalled the siren telling him something about sea caves. Not taking up this opportunity, he rushed towards the black rock and shone his flashlight in. The second the seawater so much as caressed his skin, he winced and bared his teeth. The water was up to his knees, but he had to keep on going if he wanted to find the siren.

"Stu!" he called, wading through the water which was just under his waist now. Murdoc's jagged teeth chattered like no tomorrow. Specks of seawater hit his eyes, he spat and cursed in response.

"... Murdoc?" a small voice said.

Waving the flashlight in front of him, the light reflected off two soot-black eyes. He nearly fell backwards into the water.

As he shone the flashlight at the siren, Murdoc had a wave of nostalgia wash over him. The first time he entered that spare room, seeing the creature tangled in a blanket, staring back at him with those eyes. Those eyes that were deep like pools of ink, drowning him. Innocent yet chilling to the bone. It was like deja-vu.

Willing his stiff fingers to move, he pulled himself out of the water and onto the stone slab that the siren was sitting on. His clothes were heavy from soaking up the sea water and his hair was drenched from the rain. He shivered and shook as he braced himself beside the siren.

"Murdoc, what-what are you doing out here?" the siren asked, shocked.

"I should be the one asking you that!" the man yelled back.

The siren flinched yet stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.

"Why aren't you in bed? Why are you out here in this bloody sea cave?! It's fucking raining out there!" His furious voice echoed throughout the cavernous cave.

Stuart averted their eyes and tried to find the right words.

"I'm... I'm used to this,"

"What?"

"I'm used to living in these sort of caves. So, don't worry about me," they said.

"Wh- 'Don't worry'?!" Murdoc was bewildered by the siren's response. Stuart didn't seem to notice the crack in his voice.

"Sirens have a higher tolerance for the cold than humans, you kno-"

"Well, that's not the point!" he cut in. "It's midnight, for god's sake, Stuart! You can't just leave whenever you feel like-"

"Then, when can I?" It was Stuart's turn to cut in.

"When your bloody wing heals, that's when! Did you hit your head while coming out here too?"

"You were the one who told me to stay away from you, so that's what I'm doing!" the siren accused.

Murdoc tried to object to that very true claim, but nothing came out. There was a short pause before Stuart began talking again.

"Do you hate me now?" they asked in a quiet voice.

 _Hate?_ Murdoc thought to himself. _Was that what the siren thought all this time?_

"I... don't," he said, "I don't hate you."

There was another pause.

"Then... why did you avoid me, Murdoc? I haven't seen you in days since... you know," the siren felt awkward mentioning the whole singing fiasco.

"That's because..." he stopped himself. It's because I'm scared of being near you.

"That's none of your business. Let's go back to the lighthouse, my balls are gonna shrivel off in this cold-"

"No. Not until you start being honest with me, Murdoc," Stuart said, gathering up all their courage.

Murdoc? Be honest? Being honest had never been his forte.

 ** _You're scared again, aren't you?_**

It's that sodding voice again. Not at a time like this.

 ** _You pathetic coward._**

"Shut up," he said to himself, gripping the flashlight tighter.

"What?"

He looked up at Stuart and saw the brittle nature in the way they looked at him.

"No, that's not what I meant-"

"Then, what do you mean? Tell me, Murdoc. I want to know!" Stuart pressed.

"I don't know," was all Murdoc could get to leave his lips, "I just don't know,"

There was another pregnant pause before a theory crept into Stuart's thoughts.

"Are you... afraid... of me?" Stuart asked, slowly. Murdoc's whole body tensed up. The sole fact that the lighthouse keeper chose to not speak a word was enough for the siren to confirm what they thought was correct.

"Murdoc," they started tenderly, "I never wanted to scare you,"

The other couldn't return an answer.

"If you're so afraid of me, then why did you come out here to get me?"

"I didn't want..." Murdoc began but stopped himself again.

"Didn't want what?"

The siren waited for a moment longer but saw how the man before them was as stiff as the sea cave they sat within. Murdoc was still shivering, making the light from the flashlight flicker sporadically across the blackened walls.

"Fine," Stuart said finally, "I'll go back to the lighthouse. But, only because I don't want you to get sick from being wet and cold,"

Humans were very fragile, after all.

Murdoc was relieved. However, a headache had crept its way to the back of his skull, gripping his nape like the Devil himself. He had to admit that the siren might have been right about getting sick.

Shortly after, both man and beast waded their way out the sea cave, ambled back up the coast, and finally arrived at the lighthouse.

Stuart watched as Murdoc dragged himself upstairs.

"Where are you going, Murdoc?"

"As you can see, I'm soaked to the bone. So, if you could excuse me, I'll be in my room drying off," he replied with half the snarkiness could usually muster.

"Will you tell me why you're acting so strangely tomorrow morning?" Stuart asked.

There was a brief pause.

"We'll see," was all that echoed from above. The sound of a door slamming shut was all that resonated throughout the lighthouse's interior before silence overtook and stuck to the walls.

The siren stood motionless at the foot of the stairs for a moment longer before begrudgingly lumbering up towards their bedroom to retire for the night.

 **A/N:** Firstly, I would like to apologise for taking so long to update this story that you all know and love. My trip to Europe is over and uni exams are too. So, I can once again continue my writing!

Lastly, thank you so so very much for sticking by me all this time and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Writer's block sucks :P

Anywho, please leave a comment below! I love reading them! ^^


	9. Chapter 9: Sickness

**A/N:** Firstly, I'm incredibly sorry for keeping you, the readers, in the dark for so long. I'm studying Animation right now at uni and I didn't realise how hectic it would get, forcing me to put all my private projects (like this fanfic) on the back burner while I prioritised my assignments.

Secondly, I would like to give a big thank you to the readers who had been waiting for this story to update, I have been waiting for the uni break to finally get back to writing. I hope you can all forgive my lack of punctuality.

I'll try my best to post a new chapter until this story comes to an end every week from now on, so please keep your eyes peeled and add this story to your favourites or bookmark it 3

The first rays of morning sun caressed the siren's pale face, coercing them from sleep. A warm, yellow light began to fill the dark room; tracing every crease and fold of the blanket which draped over the siren's slim body. The soft glow slowly grew over the smooth walls, the wooden floor and the flaky ceiling, engulfing the room with its presence. Stuart squinted, catching the round orb in the sky rising through the window glass.

Falling asleep was a difficult task as of last night, with Murdoc acting strangely and all. Stuart lifted their bare body from the sheets and sat up, rubbing their eyes. Uncertainty was thick in the air. Why would Murdoc be afraid of them? Didn't he get over the 'sirens eating humans' thing a long time ago?

They departed from their bed and stretched their lanky arms and white feathered wings; both pointed toward the ceiling. The siren noticed how they weren't as sore as they were a few days ago. That, of course, meant that their time spent with the lighthouse keeper was nearing an end.

Stuart didn't want to keep their friends and family waiting any longer, but there was something else that counteracted that. Strange as it was, Stuart felt a pang in their chest at the thought of parting from Murdoc. It hurt just that bit more knowing that the man hadn't born any hate towards them as they had previously assumed.

So, why did he avoid them?

Only Murdoc, himself, could answer that question.

Slinking out from their room, the siren looked up towards where Murdoc's room resided. They wondered if he had locked himself in his room again or if he had decided to come down to the kitchen for breakfast.

 _Clack, clack, clack._

Stuart's scaley talons carried them down the metal staircase towards the kitchen level.

 _-CHOO!_

The siren's ears pricked up at the sharp sound. They waited for a moment, listening intently.

 _ACHOO!_

Stuart was certain it came from above them. Curiously, the siren made their way up towards the sound.

Unsurprisingly, Stuart found themselves in front of the door which led into Murdoc's room. They knocked.

"Murdoc, are you okay in there?"

The sound of a nose being blown was what they got in response and a snivelling "Get lost, ya twat!".

He didn't yell at them with as much vigour as he normally would have done so a few days ago, which wasn't a good sign, funnily enough.

"I'm coming in, Murdoc," was the only warning Stuart gave before turning the doorknob.

To their surprise, it wasn't locked like yesterday. But, what surprised them the most was what they saw behind the door.

Murdoc was lying in his bed, duvet tucked under his armpits, bare feet peeking out from underneath. His face was tinted red and drenched in sweat. Scrunched-up tissues surrounded his bedside. The blinds weren't drawn, so the room was quite dark.

As the siren slowly approached, Murdoc let out a spluttering cough and blew his nose into another tissue, followed by a groan.

"Are you sick, Murdoc?"

"Oh, no. Not at all, just having a little lie-in today - _Of course, I'm sick! Did you have to ask?!"_

"Well, you don't have to be so snappy about it," Stuart replied, frowning.

Before he could rebuttal, Murdoc went into a coughing fit which alarmed the siren. The crease between their eyebrows only deepened.

"I knew that you would get sick. I just knew it," they muttered, turning their head away.

"Argh, just leave me alone already!" Murdoc squawked.

"No," Stuart turned back, "It was _my_ fault that you went out there last night while it rained. And it was _my_ fault that you had to go into that sea cave to find me, so _I'm_ going to take care of you until you get better!" the siren announced.

All Murdoc could do at that moment was stare at the blue-haired creature until a thought formed in his head.

"Do you even have an inkling of an idea on how to take care of me?"

"I'll do the best I can,"

"And what if you catch my cold? What then?"

Stuart considered this for a moment.

Only a moment.

"Well, I'm a siren. So, I can't catch human illnesses,"

"But, you're... you're... human-esque! You must have a similar immune system to us, at least! Your body hasn't been exposed to the cold virus yet, so what if you... you know... die suddenly?!"

It was Stuart's turn to stare now. Why did he have to bring back the 'dying' thing again? They weren't as fragile as they were a few weeks ago. The siren sighed.

"Look, if I could sit in a freezing sea cave without getting sick, then I can be around you," Stuart said.

"It's fine!" he said, attempting to lift himself out of bed, "I can take care of myse-". Again, he went into a coughing fit.

"Uh, I don't think you can, Murdoc,"

The sickly man let out a defeated groan.

"Fine... "

"What?"

"Are you deaf? I said fine! You can go fetch me a washcloth and a basin of cold water,"

And for the first time in weeks, the siren's mouth curled into a huge grin. They sped out of the room, into the en-suite. Murdoc felt his ears grow hot again. That fucking smile always got him.

He covered his face with his forearm and waited, "What has my life come to?"

When the siren returned, Murdoc instructed them to soak the washcloth in the cold water, wring it, then fold it into a small rectangle to place on his forehead to cool him down. Stuart did as they were told up until the point they finished wringing. They instead swept the man's greasy fringe out of the way and began patting his face with the damp cloth. Murdoc flinched.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Wiping away your sweat. You look really sticky," the siren replied, "Is that okay with you?"

Murdoc looked at them for a second before grumbling a 'yes'.

Pleased with his response, the siren continued to gingerly wipe away at his forehead. Murdoc felt the cloth glide over his flushed skin. The cooling sensation was actually rather pleasant. This isn't so bad, he thought to himself. He felt like a sickly 9-year-old being tended to by his mother. Murdoc wanted to close his eyes and fall asleep like this.

"All done," Stuart said, snapping him back to reality - he's a grown middle-aged man being tended to by a sea monster. It all felt so weird and surreal.

The siren wrung the washcloth once again before they neatly placed the cloth on top of his forehead.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Stuart keenly asked.

It had been years since he had gotten this sick. He remembered having a bunch of pills and lozenges stored somewhere in the depths of his bedside drawer. Twisting his aching body towards his bedside drawer, he pulled open the middle drawer. Stuart watched him, preparing to assist him at a moment's notice.

Fishing around the drawer, he pushed aside an assortment of sewing equipment and a box of seashells, his fingers groping the very back of the drawer where he felt something flat and smooth with circular bumps. Murdoc pulled out the object - revealing a blister pack of throat lozenges, half melted. He checked the expiry date, which was two years overdue, and shrugged.

"What's that, Murdoc?" the curious siren asked, eyeing the yellow lozenges.

"These are throat lozenges," he said, bluntly before popping one of them out from the plastic casing and putting in his mouth to suck on. They tasted off.

"Lozenges?" Stuart repeated.

"Helps with my sore throat to some extent," Murdoc replied, reaching back into the drawer of bits and bobs. Fumbling along the back of the drawer, his fingers felt something sticky and glass-like. After retrieving it, they both saw that it was a bottle of Panadol with only a third of the amount of liquid remaining. 'Do they even sell them in bottles anymore?' Murdoc thought.

Stuart innocently watched on as the man committed a dangerous act that no person should ever attempt - he unscrewed the child-proof cap and began to drink straight from the bottle. After withdrawing, he swallowed hard and pulled a face. It was cherry-flavoured. Why, in God's name, would anyone invent such a rancid flavour? He bet Damon bought it for him just to spite him.

"What's that?" the siren asked.

"A mistake," Murdoc replied, reeling at the taste.

"Oh. Will you be okay?"

"Just fetch me a glass of water, will you?"

"Well, if you say so," Stuart promptly left the room, finally leaving the man by himself.

Murdoc sank back into his sweat-stained pillow and suckled on the lozenge in his mouth, staring listlessly at the ceiling fan as it lazily spun around like a hypnotic device. His eyes felt so heavy, as did his body. He could feel the medicine taking effect on his mind and body. In a queasy and exhausted state, sleep overtook him.

When Stuart returned with the glass of water, he was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a sleeping Murdoc. After tip-toeing towards his bedside, they placed the water beside the ashtray. The siren kneeled down beside Murdoc's bed and propped their chin on top of folded arms, watching him in silence.

With Murdoc being bedridden, the siren could finally corner him for once and get a straight answer out of him about why he had been avoiding them amongst other pieces of strange behaviour. Stuart knew better than to shake the man awake and interrogate him, so all they could do was wait until they woke up.

In the dim lighting, Stuart watched as the man's chest rose and fell with each breath, an occasional gurgle would escape his stomach. His expression looked peaceful as every sleeping face should look. It was the sort of relaxed expression, however, that was rather hard to come by when it came to someone like Murdoc. He always looked troubled, even when he was grinning from ear-to-ear. Stuart would see specks of melancholy behind those eyes of his. They didn't know why he always looked this way, but he did. This quiet sadness was especially apparent on cloudy mornings when the sun had just barely come out. Murdoc would sit motionless in the kitchen, staring at nothing.

Remembering back to that late afternoon when they sat on the pier as they watched the sunset together or when he strummed song after song on his bass guitar that one time after breakfast, his eyes, back then, weren't so sad. They were actually the brightest they had ever been.

The siren's obsidian eyes left the lighthouse keeper's sleeping face and rested on his calloused hands. One was laid on top of his stomach while the other flopped over the opposite side of the bed. Murdoc, Stuart noticed, had one of the most monstrous features a human could ever possess; his nails were always quite long and sharp, his teeth were jagged, and his tongue was almost reptilian in length. Even so, Stuart was not put off by these features. They thought it made him look very unique and added character.

Cautiously, Stuart began to reach out to touch the nearest hand belonging to Murdoc. His skin felt rough and uneven. The siren's pale fingers slid across his knuckles which jutted out like sand dunes. Murdoc's fingers were knobby and weathered, tipped with talon-like fingernails. Despite its rough appearance, his hand was warm to the touch. It was the kind of comforting warmth that was tempting for one's cheek to nestle against. Perhaps even be caressed by.

Stuart realised what they were doing and quickly withdrew, glancing at Murdoc to check if he was glaring daggers at them. Fortunately, he was still under the influence of the Panadol, meaning he was still in a deep sleep.

A rumble erupted from the siren's stomach, urging them to eat something as soon as they can. Stuart stood up and made their way towards the door, taking one last look at Murdoc's sleeping figure before leaving entirely.

The effects of the medicine wore off, allowing Murdoc to awaken from his 'drugged' state. His mouth felt dry as a bone, making his tongue feel slack. Turning his head to the side, he spotted the glass of water on top of his bedside table. His surroundings seemed to shift from side to side like the fabric of time and space were not quite stitched back together. On top of that, he felt a dizzying sense of euphoria wash over him over and over again. He, of course, knew that this was the result of gulping down more Panadol than what was recommended on the scratched-out label. Expired Panadol, at that.

With his last remaining strength, he attempted to sit up in his bed; every muscle in his body strained as he struggled to pull his body into a sitting position. It was as if he had sandbags tied to all his limbs, head and torso. After several attempts, he managed to sit up, his back heavily relying on the headboard to keep him from slumping back again.

Reaching out, he wrapped his fingers around the cup and shakily brought it to his lips. The water was just under room temperature, but it was better than nothing. In the midst of gulping it all down, he caught a glimpse of electric blue through the bottom of the glass. Upon lowering it, he was nearly startled before realising what it was.

Stuart was quietly asleep near the foot of his bedside; their soft face nestled into crossed arms. The entire room was silent apart from the distant sounds of the waves crashing outside and the hushed breathing coming from the siren.

It was difficult to resist a beautiful temptation like Stuart. They were the only beautiful thing in this dingy room of his. He could hardly believe how he could still be afraid of this creature. Murdoc didn't even want to know what would happen to him if he were to make the siren especially angry. He was fearful and anxious, but at the same time, he couldn't shake this feeling that told him that there was nothing to be afraid of. These feelings were flying all over the place and he couldn't make sense of them, especially in the state he was in right now.

"Murdoc?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and met eye to eye with the siren, who was now wide awake. The man merely looked at them and then down at the empty glass in his hands, his vision still warping from the medicine.

"How are you?" the siren asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

There was a brief pause before Murdoc decided to answer.

"I'm feeling _really_ good right now," he purred. "What are you still doing here?"

"I was waiting for you to wake up. And don't worry, I had breakfast already. Glad you're feeling heaps better," Stuart smiled before yawning. "I think it's past midday now."

"Is it now?" Murdoc slurred, lazily lifting his head up. "Felt like I slept a million years,"

"Oh, don't worry, Murdoc. I would've woken you up if that was the case," the siren answered, not noticing how high the other was.

"Ohh, I'm sure you would, my Prince Charming," Murdoc said, leaning towards the siren.

"Um... are you feeling okay, Murdoc? You're talking a bit weird," Stuart said, standing up from the bed.

"Oh, I'm feeling more than okay. I feel... " he thought for a moment before continuing, "... delicious." he grinned, a heated gaze lingering in his plastered eyes.

"I... don't exactly know how to respond to that," Stuart replied, feeling quite weirded out. Something definitely wasn't right with Murdoc. He wasn't acting like himself.

"The bed is pulsing," Murdoc said.

"What?"

"I can feel the bed pulsing under me, Stu. And you're changing colours!" he laughed, pointing at the confused siren, "Purple, blue, pink, and now orange, hahaha!"

"Wha- am I?!" Stuart scrambled towards the mirror in the corner of the room and stared at his hair, which was still the same blue it had been since they came here. Irritated, the siren marched back to Murdoc's bedside.

"My hair isn't changing colours!" they shouted at the delirious man who was giggling to himself.

"Must be the Panadol, hahaha!"

The siren had never witnessed someone overdosing on cold medicine before, nor did they know that that was the reason behind Murdoc's giddiness. They grew more and more anxious as their mind struggled to comprehend what had become of Murdoc. Would he stay like this forever? Will he be back to his normal self if he gets some rest? Is this normal for humans?

"Murdoc, what's happening to you?"

Then, they remembered earlier how the man mentioned that the liquid he drank was "a mistake". Horrified, Stuart stared at Murdoc who's eyes darted around the room, smiling and uncontrollably giggling.

"Haven't felt this great in years!" he said, jovially. The man then went into a great coughing fit, laughing afterwards.

"You don't seem great," Stuart replied, "You're still really sick from being soaked to the bone last night,"

"Sick, shmick! I've been through worse,"

"Still, you should take it easy," the siren stressed, "I don't know how long you're going to stay like this and it's scaring me,"

This made Murdoc's laughter die down, reduced to a crooked smile.

"Scared? I'm high as a kite, Stu! And with every high, there's a low. So, don't worry your pretty little head about it!"

'With every high, there's a low'? Stuart could only piece together that that meant that Murdoc would be able to get back his old self. This piece of knowledge relieved most of the siren's uneasiness. The only question left is 'When will he be back to normal?'.

No matter, Stuart knew that they had to take this chance where Murdoc was in good spirits to get to the bottom of everything that had been going on since the singing incident.

"Murdoc," the siren addressed. The man in question tilted their head at the mention of his name.

"Yeah?"

"We need to talk,"

Stuart could see the cogs slowly turn in the other's head as he sat in his bed, letting the question hang in the air.

"Talk? Yeah, yeah, we can talk. What do you want to talk about? The weather, sports, politics?"

"I wanted to talk about you, Murdoc," Stuart cut in.

"Me? Oh, well, I'm flattered. Trying to stroke my ego, are you? You naughty boy~"

"Murdoc, I'm serious!"

As high as he was, Murdoc sensed the siren's patience running short, shutting him up for a moment.

"Why are you scared of me?" Stuart asked.

The lighthouse keeper, who had his eyes glued to the siren's, instinctively averted them. His dark eyes began to dilate as the giddiness from the medicine and the unbearable dread of his true feelings clashed wildly within him.

"Scared? Wha- what're you talkin' about, Stu? I told you that I've got over the 'sirens eating people' thing," He ended with a forced laugh.

"Then, why are you avoiding me?"

That question again. Cut just as deep as when they first asked him that in the sea cave.

"No reason," he replied, his mind too high to cook up a smarter excuse.

"There has to be a reason, Murdoc. I'm not stupid, you know,"

The anxiety that nibbled at his giddiness only grew in size. He didn't want the floaty feeling to go away.

"Look... " Murdoc began, "Some things are best left alone, and I want you to leave me alone,"

"No, Murdoc. I need you to be honest with me right now," Stuart said, standing their ground. His unbroken wing lifting up, some of its white feathers fell to the floor.

"What's the point of telling you if yer gonna be off in a few days?" Murdoc retaliated. Take that, you nosy bird.

"Because... " It was the siren's turn to think of a reason.

"Because nothing, that's what!"

"Because-" Stuart interjected, "Because... you're someone I care about,"

Murdoc's breath caught in his throat as he sat there, staring at his lap. Then, he laughed.

"Me? You care about me? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what I mean to say, Murdoc!" Stuart shouted, frustratedly, "I don't know how else to say it!"

"Is this some sort of confession?! Is that it?" Murdoc yelled back, glaring at the siren.

"Murdoc, I'm not confessing anything! At least, I don't think I am... Look, I just wanted to let you know that it's okay for you to tell me how you feel. That's all,"

This silenced the man almost immediately, avoiding any form of eye contact. One moment, he was on cloud nine, and the next thing he knew, the siren is pouring out their heart to him. His own heart couldn't take any of this. Deep inside, he knew that, sooner or later, the feelings that he had tried so hard to suppress were going to overflow in the most embarrassing way possible.

"It doesn't matter if I'm leaving tomorrow or next month, I need to know what's troubling you. You can think of it as some sort of..." Stuart couldn't remember what the word was until a full minute passed.

"Closure! Yeah, that's it!" And as quick as their little moment of triumph lasted, the siren's bright expression switched back to one of a cop in an interrogation room.

"So, let me ask again; why were you avoiding me?" Stuart inquired, "I promise you that I won't laugh or make fun of you," they bribed.

As much as he can scream and curse at the siren, he knew that Stuart would not budge until they got what they wanted. Being bedridden and high was not a good combination either in this sort of situation where he could simply run out of the room and hide like the coward he was.

 _It's time to stop being a pathetic coward, Murdoc._

Even his inner demons knew what he had to do now. After a moment's pause, Murdoc took a few breath and begrudgingly opened his mouth.

"I think I might... " he began, quietly.

"Think you might what?"

 _It's now or never, Murdoc._

"I think I might be in love with you," Murdoc said quickly. Stuart stood by his bedside, too stunned to say anything.

"And it scares me," he added, his voice just above a whisper now.

"It scares me so, so much."

 **A/N:** Funnily enough, I had to re-read all the chapters from start to the previous chapter to refresh my memory on the details of events that occurred, haha.

Anyway, thanks for reading up to this point. Please leave a comment below on your thoughts and feelings. I'm not the best writer, so some feedback on the direction of the story would be nice ^^


	10. Chapter 10: Soulmates

There was a thickness which hung in the air after those words were uttered. Dread gripped at Murdoc's throat as he waited for the siren's response. This was his first time confessing to someone, after all. He knew that there was a fifty-fifty chance of Stuart either being completely disgusted or actually harbouring some semblance of romantic attraction towards him. Maybe it's more of a seventy-thirty chance? Ninty-ten? Ah, fuck! There's no way the siren sees him more than a friend, damnit! What was he thinking?!

"J-just forget everything I said-"

"Murdoc, is that true?" the siren asked.

"Yes! No! Maybe! I don't know!" His mind was all over the place. Panic began to creep in.

"Is it my fault...?" Stuart asked.

"What?"

"All this time, I wanted to be your shoulder to lean on. You looked... _troubled_ by something, and I wanted to know what it was, so I could help you," Stuart began, looking at their feet, "And I've been really patient because I saw how upset you got when I asked you about certain things,"

Then, Stuart's brow creased. There were clear signs of guilt and frustration in their tone.

"But, when you kept pushing me away and decided to keep all your worries to yourself, I didn't know how long I was willing to wait for you to tell me things on your own terms. And now you're telling me you have feelings for me? And that it scares you?"

Murdoc could hear the strain in their voice and his heart dropped. He knew that he had a bad habit of crumbling in on himself when someone, no matter how kind their intentions, stuck their nose into his personal life. He would either lash out or avoid the subject altogether. Other 'normal people', he was sure, would just make the conscious decision to express their feelings and their worries to those around them. But, him? That was a near impossible task for someone like him.

However, through some divine intervention, he met Stuart. They had some magic quality about them that made it just a little bit easier to be himself around them. Just that bit easier to share a bit more about himself than with other people. They were compassionate and a good listener. And that smile that he had not seen till today. That smile was the cherry on top of his ice cream sundae.

And he had taken all of it for granted.

"I shouldn't have said anything," he muttered, "It's not your fault... " Murdoc lamented.

There was an uncomfortable pause in the room and it got just a bit harder to breathe.

"It's no one's fault. It is what it is," he added on.

The siren didn't say anything back. Murdoc knew that he couldn't take back his confession. It was long overdue, after all. Telling Stuart his true feelings were only the first step. He now needed to solidify these feelings and make them tangible for the other to see, for his and Stuart's sake.

"Give me your hand," Murdoc said.

"What?"

"Just give me your hand, Stuart,"

Confused, the siren complied, sitting down on the bed. Murdoc took their hand and placed it on the right side of his chest.

"Can you feel it?"

"Your heart?" the siren asked.

"Yes... "

"It's... it's beating really fast," Stuart said, a blush creeping across their face.

Embarrassed, Murdoc pulled the siren's hand away and took another deep breath, containing his growing anxiety.

"I love you," he said.

Stuart's blush deepened, at a loss for words.

"I love you and I really mean it," he reiterated. If this was Stuart's last day here, then he had to get everything he had been holding in, out of his system.

After a brief moment, the siren replied with four words.

"I do as well,"

Murdoc's eyes widened so much that it looked as if they were going to pop right out of his skull. The tight ball of anxiety and dread began unravelling inside of him. He could feel his brain shutting down and restarting over and over again, but he just couldn't speak. Murdoc could feel his whole being leave his body.

"You okay?"

After a brief moment, his soul reclaimed its rightful place back in its mortal shell.

"Is... is this the part where we kiss?" he eventually croaked out.

"Yeah," Stuart laughed.

Murdoc produced a small grin. That was the first laugh he saw in a long while.

Stuart, in turn, noticed that that was the first smile Murdoc had made in weeks. A warm and affectionate atmosphere had filled the once tense and dreary room.

Awkwardly, Murdoc began to tilt his head towards the siren, who did the same until their lips met in the middle and pressed against each other. Murdoc placed his hands on the other's bare shoulders and pulled them closer. Stuart smiled into the kiss, eyes both closed. At that moment, their hearts beat as one. Their kiss was short-lived but it was enough to fill each other with enough warmth to melt a winter's snow. One thing for sure, though, was that one of them had a little _too_ much blood rush to their nether regions.

Stuart shyly pulled away first, their paper-white skin now a bright shade of pink. Murdoc, on the other hand, was a hot mess. Usually for him, kissing lead to sex, but he knew that this wasn't the time for that. Plus, he had never engaged in sexual activity with anything that wasn't human nor did he want to. Despite how 'human-esque' and beautiful Stuart was, he had to hold himself back.

"When...?" the siren asked, slowly.

"When what?"

"When did you realise you had feelings for me?" they asked again, ears burning red.

Murdoc's face was tinted red and his throat felt dry. He tried to think back to when he developed feelings for Stuart. If he was being completely honest with himself, he had lost count of the number of times he felt his heart flutter when he looked at the siren. He wasn't going to admit that, though.

"Probably when we were watching the sunset... " he said to himself, under his breath.

"What? That far back?" Stuart exclaimed, their keen hearing working to Murdoc's disadvantage.

"Sh-shut up! I was probably still trying to sober up from my hangover!" he lied, turner even redder. Both of them were a flustered mess, not being able to look the other in the eye for more than a fraction of a second.

"... what is it about me that you like?" the siren asked, curiously.

"What I like about you?" the man echoed the question.

"Yeah!"

Murdoc looked at Stuart who was smiling excitedly. There were a bunch of things that he fancied and apparently a blue-haired siren was one of them.

"You're... really nice, I guess?" he said, vaguely.

Stuart was waiting expectedly, so Murdoc forced himself to continue.

"You're... a good listener... incredibly patient and understanding... and you have this... dumb, happy smile... and... "

"Yes?"

Murdoc cleared his throat before he embraced himself for what he was about to say next.

"... I think you're the most beautiful thing that has happened to me. I'm not even sure I deserve someone like you, Stuart," he admitted, blushing ear-to-ear.

"That... that was the sweetest thing someone has ever said to me," the siren said, "I'm frankly touched," they beamed. Murdoc's heart began hammering even harder in his chest.

"Er, s-so, what do you like about me?" Murdoc asked.

"Hmm... well, you're very caring, I'd say," Stuart said, "You always made sure that there was enough fish in the freezer so I wouldn't starve, and every day you would always change my bandages. It was a miracle I hadn't become an orca's meal, but if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be here today. And I know you've heard me say this many times, but I'm still incredibly grateful, Murdoc," the siren said, happily.

"It's nothin' much, really... " Murdoc dismissed, thinking of it as him looking out for one of the many children of Mother Nature. It's the least he could do. No big deal. Right?

"You're a kind person at heart, even if you don't think so," they smiled at the lighthouse keeper.

Murdoc blushed at this and felt his heart tighten in his chest. No one had ever called him that before. Tears threatened to escape the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away.

"Plus, I think you're really cool, Murdoc! You play the bass guitar and you stand up for what you believe in. That takes someone cool like you to do!" the siren proclaimed, grinning.

"Oh, stop! My ego is already as big as it is!" Murdoc joked. Stuart laughed.

After the laughter had died down, Stuart remembered what Murdoc mentioned earlier and decided to inquire further.

"Why are you scared?" Stuart asked in a quiet voice.

The lighthouse keeper's smiling expression fell and became grim.

"Earlier, you said that loving me scared you. What did you mean by that?" The gaze from Stuart's obsidian eyes seemed to burn holes into Murdoc's soul. He sighed and made the choice to truthfully answer.

"To put this simply, you're a siren,"

"And?"

"And I'm not. Which is why it's a bit weird," he admitted.

"Really, Murdoc? That's all you're afraid of?"

"Shut up! It's not only that!"

"What else then?" the siren pressed.

"Um, how do I say this... do you remember when I told you about how I helped people who had landed on this island?"

"Yes?"

"Well, sometimes, when they stay the night, or two, things can get a little... frisky between us, you know? And one thing leads to another and... "

"You shag them?" Stuart asked.

Murdoc's jaw dropped. He could not believe the word 'shag' had been uttered by someone as sweet and pure as Stuart.

"I'm not a little kid, you know? I'm a full-grown siren who had witnessed humans going at it on the beaches more than I could count," Stuart said, matter-of-factly.

"Jesus... well, anyway, yes, I shag here and there with some of the people," he explained, flustered.

"And what does that have to do with you being afraid?"

"Well, what do you think those people do when they get their hands on supplies and a night's rest?" Murdoc asked.

"They say 'thank you'?"

"They leave, Stuart," Murdoc said, bluntly.

"Oh... "

"And I never see them again,"

Guilt tugged at Stuart's heart as they knew that they would have to leave Murdoc soon to go back to their home.

"So, that's why you're lonely... " the siren said. Murdoc didn't need to say anything more.

"So, you're afraid to love me because you know that I have to go home?" Stuart asked.

"If that wasn't obvious enough, yes," Murdoc voiced, unhappily, "I don't want you to leave me, Stuart... "

"I... I can visit you sometimes!" Stuart blurted out.

"But, this is Point Nemo; the furthest point from any landmass. I'm not sure where you live, but it sure isn't close to this place," Murdoc reasoned.

"I don't care! I'll leave at dawn and fly here if I have to!" the siren asserted, "I can even bring some of my friends, so you don't have to be so lonely!"

"... are you sure?" Murdoc asked, sceptically.

"Yes! I really mean it!" the siren exclaimed.

This was great news, but more sirens? He could hardly handle one. Oh god, what if they brought their parents with them? Anything but the in-laws!

"... fine," Murdoc grumbled, "But, don't go bringing your whole family or anything, got it?"

"Okay!"

That evening, Murdoc dragged himself out of bed, wrapped in his blanket, to make sure Stuart hadn't burned the lighthouse down while attempting to cook for the first time in the kitchen downstairs. By the end of it, the siren had made some sort of fish stew and called it 'Stu's Fish Stew'. Murdoc hesitantly took a spoonful and tasted it. He made a face.

"Why is it... sweet?"

Stuart's face dropped.

"Did you mistake the sugar for salt?" Murdoc asked.

"Oh. Sorry... "

The lighthouse keeper rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just get me the salt shaker," he sighed. The siren was surprised that they didn't get yelled at like before and happily complied.

Midway through dinner, Murdoc decided to tell the siren one more thing.

"Hey, Stuart?"

"Yes?"

"Do you want to know what I was dreaming about before? When I was in the bath?"

Stuart's eyes widened, then their eyebrows furrowed.

"Well, if you're okay with telling me, then I don't mind listening," they replied.

"... well, it started out with me seeing your injured body on the coastline, like before. I ran out to see if you were alive, but you weren't breathing and I began to panic. I tried to perform CPR, but the more I pushed on your chest, the more blood poured out from your wounds, so I stopped. Then, in a blink of an eye, and you weren't there anymore. I looked up at the sky and the sun was just setting. I saw you standing on the shore just metres in front with your back towards me. I called out your name and you turned around and smiled at me. But, suddenly, you disappeared... "

"What do you mean?" Stuart asked.

"It was as if you were pulled into the water, I don't know. I remember running towards where you were standing, but the water turned red. I dug into the sand, searching for you until my fingernails bled. And then I woke up. And you were there. And you were okay," Murdoc said, tears brimming at his eyes.

Stuart was silent for a moment before embracing the man in their arms, feathery wings enveloping them both in a protective manner.

And for the first time in decades, Murdoc began to cry. He wept until he would weep no more. The lighthouse keeper didn't care how pathetic he looked at that moment because he knew that Stuart was someone he would be okay with being vulnerable around.

After dinner, Murdoc went straight back to bed while the siren sat by the window, staring at the night sky, chattering about the stars and the universe.

"Do you believe in soulmates, Murdoc?" they suddenly asked.

"Um... haven't really thought about it, really," he answered.

"Well, back then, they said that humans were created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces," Stuart said.

"That's messed up, but continue, I guess,"

"And Zeus, the Father of Gods and Men, became scared of their power. So, naturally, he split the humans into separate beings, forcing them to live their lives in search of their other half," Stuart explained, "I bet we were connected as one person once. In another life... " they said, tenderly.

"Uh, I would rather not imagine nightmare fuel like that, Stu," the lighthouse keeper grimaced.

"Oh, but Murdoc, don't you think it's amazing how we can be born from two different worlds and be lucky enough to meet each other?"

When they put it that way, it did sound less freaky.

"Well, I guess that is pretty amazing," Murdoc said with a smile.

"My mum used to say that 'everything happens for a reason, no matter how good or bad', wouldn't you agree?"

Murdoc thought back to his old home in Stoke-on-Trent where his father would blow money on his alcohol addiction and tell him his mother abandoned him amongst other terrible things he would rather not think about at this junction in time. He eventually moved out after getting his doctorate and met Russel and Noodle at one of the many protests and rallies he participated in against huge oil and coal companies. He also had the privilege to watch the band, Gorillaz, grow from the ground up, with Damon as their band leader and frontman.

He, on the other hand, became the head of a 'whale-saving operation' targetted at Sea World. He also became the mastermind behind the sinking of a dolphin drive hunting boat and several whaling ships. Behind bars was where he landed himself after a few years and his sentence meant he was banished to an island at Point Nemo to live out the rest of his life as a lone lighthouse keeper for being 'a reckless and dangerous member of society', so said the courts.

And four years later, Stuart washed onto his shore, all bloody and broken. Unbeknownst to him, Stuart would soon become his salvation. His light at the end of the tunnel. They were a living, breathing angel, in his eyes.

"What are you smiling about?" Stuart asked.

Murdoc's eyes crinkled as he continued to smile.

"Nothing, love. Nothing at all,"

The very next morning, Murdoc unwrapped the bandages from Stuart's wing. When looking at the siren, the cuts and bruises that once inhabited their body were fully healed, leaving only the occasional scar. Stuart joyfully stretched their wings and flapped them about.

"Hey, hey! Leave the flapping for when we get outside. I've got enough feathers to fill the world's biggest pillow thanks to you!" Murdoc shouted.

"Haha, sorry!" Stuart laughed.

"Feel any pain?" Murdoc asked after sweeping up the remaining feathers.

"Nope," they smiled.

"Good. Now, let's get you outside,"

"But, shouldn't you stay in bed? You're still sick, you know?" the siren said, concerned.

"Well, it would be incredibly rude of me not to bid a guest farewell, wouldn't it?" he grinned.

Sighing, Stuart didn't protest further.

Grabbing his warmest jacket and a beanie, he pulled on his boots and led the siren outside into the morning light. They walked towards the jetty where many boats had previously docked at. They both looked out at the shimmering ocean, then at each other.

"This is goodbye, isn't it?" Murdoc said to the other.

"Uh, not really. More like a 'see you again'," Stuart corrected.

"Haha, right," he chuckled.

"Oh, and Murdoc?"

"Yes?"

The siren cupped the lighthouse keeper's face in their hands and kissed him on the forehead before giving him a hug that was a bit too cozy for his liking, leaving him a blushing mess.

"See you again, Murdoc!" Stuart beamed, waving to the flustered man.

"S-see you!" he called back.

And with that, the siren leapt into the water. In a blink of an eye, their bird-like legs fused together and their wings shrank into their back. Murdoc scrambled to the edge of the jetty, eyes searching the blue water for the siren. Then, out of nowhere, a large, scaly, golden tail emerged from the water, nearly splashing the lighthouse keeper.

"Oi!" he shouted. Stuart's blue head of hair popped up from the seawater.

"Sorry, Murdoc!" they laughed. Then, the siren went under again. Their beautiful tail was the last thing the man saw before all was silent again.

Murdoc could feel that familiar sinking feeling in his chest, but this time, it wasn't hollow, but full of hope. Seeing the siren transform into the 'half-fish form' he was so familiar with from the storybooks was a sight that would stay with him for the rest of his life. The lighthouse keeper stood there on the jetty for a moment longer, soaking up the sunlight before heading back inside to get himself something small to eat.

After an hour or two, Stuart grew tired of swimming aimlessly through the ocean and decided to switch to their winged form to make navigating a bit easier. They leapt out of the water and grew their feathered wings again, their fishtail splitting into two bird legs. Stuart rose as high as they could and flew in several directions until they spotted a dot in the distance. As they came closer, Stuart's eyes widened as did their smile.

"I'm home, everyone!" they yelled as they flew down to the cheering crowd of sirens. They embraced, they cried and they bugged them with a million questions, but most of all, they were all glad that one of their own was alive.

"Who nursed you back to health, Stu?" Alex asked that evening when they were all feasting and celebrating their return.

The blue-haired siren only grinned and said one thing.

"The Protector of the Sea, of course!"

A week later, Murdoc was back to his old self again. He was no longer plagued with the cold and went back to his daily mundane job as a lighthouse keeper. He had just finished having a smoke break on the balcony outside of the Service Room when he spots a weird bird in the sky. As the bird flew close enough for Murdoc to make out what it was, his eyes widened and he yelled the one name he knew best.

"Stuart!" he called up to the sky, arms outstretched.

"I told you I would come!" the siren called back, landing in the other's arms. Smiling, they held each other for a moment to refamiliarise themselves to each other's scent and warmth before closing the space between them with a deep and tender kiss.

 **A/N: Well, that's all, folks!**

 _This last chapter was a bit of a challenge because it was a bit tricky trying to find a balance between dialogue, thoughts and actions. I also didn't want to write an unsatisfying ending and ended up rewriting this chapter a few times, hehe. Felt a little cheesy at times (esp the ending, omggg). But hey, I'm still learning~_

 _Feel free to comment about your favourite chapter/moment in the story or just ask me any questions about the story in general. Thanks so much for sticking by me and reading this fanfic. I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed it!_


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